


A Will and A Way

by kateofallpeople



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Death Eaters, F/M, Legal Guardianship, Prophecy, Romance, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-23
Updated: 2013-09-22
Packaged: 2017-12-27 08:53:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 72,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/976855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kateofallpeople/pseuds/kateofallpeople
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi There! I've been omitting Author's Notes because they were really only relevant at the time I was actively posting this fic, but there's one I definitely shouldn't leave out, since it contains a bit of information that is VERY important to the further understanding of this fic. While I was writing the previous few chapters, I kept feeling like I wasn't utilizing the full potential of the characters or the storyline. I made the decision to jump time forward, skipping about ten years in time since what was happening in this chapter. Basically, this chapter continues where the last left off, but the next chapter will be TEN years into the future. Teddy will be that much older, Harry and Hermione's relationship is quite a bit different, and new things come into play without compromising any of the old storyline.</p></blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Hermione was pleased. Really, she was. Yes, she'd been doing endless amounts of paperwork, instead of fighting on the front lines, demanding rights for those who had none. But in a way, she'd been doing what was right. She was putting her brain to good use, she was researching and writing and outlining important case points. She'd began working for an organization specializing in non-human rights just a few months after the final battle. While she'd been doing her six month training, Ron had always referred to it as "S.P.E.W., multiplied", a term which Hermione didn't particularly appreciate, but was actually somewhat accurate. She was pleased with how she'd ended up after the war - while it had seriously scarred those around her, she thanked Merlin and anything she could every day that she'd only lost those that she had, and that she hadn't lost Harry or Ron. Whenever the thought crossed her mind, it went blank - she couldn't imagine what life could have possibly been like if she'd lost one of them.

Despite her protests, she was also pleased with the fact that she and Ron hadn't gotten too serious too fast. They'd been together nearly the entire summer except for the month Hermione spent in Australia trying to find her parents, and it had gone... well. Not great, not terrible. They had never really moved past a kiss or two here or there, and Hermione liked keeping things away from getting too serious. She had a career. And she was only eighteen, after all. She was especially pleased of this fact when Ron, angry with himself for not getting appropriate N.E.W.T.s when they'd been allowed to take them shortly after the war, realized that he wasn't doing anything with his life. He was living off a moderate sum that the ministry had given each of them after the final batter, he wasn't working, and though the reward had been a lot - he was running out. Ron had made a big speech at a Weasley Sunday dinner - he was going to work on a job. He was going to do something about it. And then, in typical Ron fashion - he left. He packed his things, and he was gone. Hermione hadn't gotten to see him in the time between the speech and his departure - he'd left her only a letter. And in the six months since he'd left, Hermione hadn't opened it. She couldn't push herself to read it. The speech had been in October of 1998.

* * *

Hermione insisted she was fine. She was mostly fine. Mostly. But Harry could see through what she was saying. Ron had left months ago, leaving nothing but a few letters and his things in his room. Harry was still in shock, but at least he was attempting to deal with it. Hermione... she wouldn't look at him. Her smile was shy - nervous. And where she'd normally spout nonsense about her job, about finishing her training, Harry found that his end of the conversation was the only one that actually existed.

"Hermione. Are you listening to me at all?"

"What?"

"See? You're barely paying attention. And that's definitely unlike the Hermione I know." He ordered them two butterbeers and stared at her. She didn't flinch.

"See, that's how I know you're not paying attention. I've been making strange faces at you and you don't even notice. You won't even look at me."

"What do you want me to do, Harry?" For the first time all night, she looked him in the eye. Harry nearly had a heart attack. Yes, she'd turned to him in haste, and to prove a point. She'd pushed him. But he hadn't felt anything - and he didn't see anything behind the brown eyes in front of him.

"I just want you to... talk, or something. To not keep staring at your plate as if it's the only thing in the world. I'm here too, you know."

She looked at him again - it broke his heart, to see her looking at him like that. Utterly defeated.

"Hermione... I know Ron..."

"I don't want to hear about Ron, not right now."

"Then let's talk about something else. Anything else."

"Harry, I've got a huge case at work coming up - my first solo case. I'm working on freeing a house elf that used to belong to the Malfoy's - one that essentially took Dobby's place. Because of wizarding law, he's their property, but that's what I'm working on changing in the next few years - months, if I work fast enough. I barely have time to talk, let alone to sit here with you and attempt to find a subject besides Ronald Weasley!"

He saw her eyes go glassy and moist with fresh tears and he reminded himself to hit himself later. Hermione had been a disaster since Ron left and all he was doing, despite his efforts, was making matters worse.

"Then let's leave," He saw her face change, grow angry, "No, 'Mione, I'm not saying that because I'm angry. You don't have the time, it's difficult for us to spend any time together without wondering where Ron is, and it's just simpler if we don't try for now. We're just going to wear ourselves out." He stood, finished his butterbeer, and jerked his head towards the door. "Come on. I'll apparate home with you."

* * *

Harry and Hermione did not get the rest that they intended, by returning home that night. In fact, the only thing they got was a shock at seeing their faces on the front cover of the Daily Prophet carried by the old owl in Hermione's front window.

_Details Revealed - The Real Story of the Golden Trio_

"This can't be good." Harry took the paper and Hermione groaned, entering her small house, her smaller bedroom, to put down her things and mentally prepare herself for what was probably a new disaster.

"'Mione, you have to see this... it's everything. The horcruxes. Ron leaving, the snatchers, all of it."

"How could they know all that? We've only told family!"

"I'm not sure. It's a Skeeter article, of course, but for once... it's not all made up. Hermione, the rest of the world shouldn't know about horcruxes and things. That could get out of hand..."

Hermione stood behind Harry, reading the article over his shoulder and squeezing said shoulder every time she read something that annoyed her. Harry began to realize it was too often - his shoulder hurt.

"This is a disaster. Harry, what are we going to do? Did you read the part about when Ron left? That's rubbish! That's not even true!"

Hermione was referring, of course, to a section of the four-page article that chronicled their time in the Forest of Dean. According to Rita Skeeter and her source, Ron had gotten feelings that Harry and Hermione were talking about him behind his back, and left, and when he returned, they were awkward around him and unwilling to let him rejoin them at first.

"It isn't. And Ron knows that. But who else would have gone to the Prophet? Who else would have known enough?"

"Any of the Weasleys. Any of our close school friends, and McGonagall. That's it."

The silence that stretched between them was palpable, Harry and Hermione sat in worry as they each realized that a journey that should have remained secret was made public, secrets about each of them in turn were made public information, and there was nothing they could do about it.

"McGonagall wouldn't have. Luna, Neville... neither of them would have. It had to be a Weasley."

"Right, but Harry, how do we figure out who? And why?"

"I take that back. I know exactly which Weasley it was. Look here - I told Ginny this information personally. And privately. She was the only other one that knows that we were in Bellatrix's vault inside Gringotts... unless you told someone?"

"I didn't have anyone to tell. Harry, do you really think Ginny had a hand in this?"

He ran a hand through his dark hair, sending it in every wild direction. "I hate to admit it, but I know she did. She's the only one who knew. I was trying to keep it secret - her family could have found out and come after us. They might, now."

Silence sat between them again, an embarrassing and horrible addition to the pair standing in Hermione's sitting room, staring at the paper. Hermione couldn't breathe, couldn't speak, but everything she was thinking was said by Harry.

"There's nothing we can do. It's out. Our story is out."

Little did the pair know, their worlds were about to be turned upside down by more that just a newspaper article, published in November of 1999.

* * *

Andromeda had been inconsolable. Ted had gone to the market and for three days,he hadn't returned. They'd been married since they were young - she'd abandoned her family, her inheritance was cut off, but she'd done all of it to be with him. She'd thought that since the war had ended, they were safe. Apparently, they had never been - Ted had likely been kidnapped and/or killed by a Death Eater in hiding, or an extremeist with something to prove. He'd been a loving husband, father, and grandfather - one who would never get to see his family again.

She was teetering on the edge of bad health - at this age any Muggle would, but even a witch fell to bad health when her husband disappeared. It was a slow sickness that began spreading through her, deeming her too weak to properly raise her grandson, and the last remaining member of her small branch of the family. He would lie awake for hours, crying, but Andromeda could do nothing but soothe his typical baby frustration a few times a day by feeding him, occasionally telling him stories of his mother. It was clear from his birth that he'd inherited one thing from her - Teddy Lupin was able to change his appearance at will, a trait that usually proved humorous on the face and hair of a child.

She woke one morning with the realization that she would not last long. Nymphadora and Remus had been killed, and Ted had likely suffered the same fate. Andromeda was slowly dying, and rendered herself unable to care for young Teddy. With a heavy heart, she rose from her bed to unlock the heavily protected bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out a manila envelope. She extracted the wills of her daughter and Remus.

_"What about Harry?"_

_"He'd be a fit father... strong, smart, and brave. And he's always been good at helping younger students, I suppose. I'd like to name him Godfather at the very least. He needs... family."_

_"He's the only one I'd consider naming the Godfather of my child. But as a father? Really, Lupin..."_

_"That's true. He never really knew... parents. I just don't know. I think that this feels right - I think that by the time your mother gets older, by the time she can't care for him, Harry will be ready."_

_"Then perhaps he'd be good to him. But he should get some help..."_

_"Our child would need a mother figure, I know. What about the Weasley girl? Ginny?"_

_"She'd be at school, if we're killed during the war. She's a year younger. And I'm just not sure - what if things don't work out between them? It could be a mess." Tonks shook her head, running her finger over the parchment. She couldn't believe she was writing her will at such a young age, that she was deciding who would care for her yet-unborn child if she were to be killed._

_"We need someone Harry's age. Female, preferrable. Intelligent. With common sense. And instincts. And not romantically linked to him, for safety."_

_"What about Hermione? She's always been smart - sometimes too smart. Her and Harry have always worked well together..."_

_"Don't you think that could cause a problem with her and Ron?"_

_"How so?"_

_"You're as oblivious as they are, Tonks. They've had feelings for each other as long as anyone can remember."_

_"I see. Well, then it would cause a problem, I expect. But it wouldn't be easy on him..."_

_"I don't think Ron would want to raise a child. And he'll deal with it, if he's a man."_

_"Alright then. 'In case of our untimely death, we wish for the care of our son to be directed towards, ultimately, Harry James Potter. His name will be used as Teddy's guardian. In addition, Guardianship is to be bestowed upon Hermione... what is it again?"_

_"I think it's Jean."_

_"Right. '...Hermione Jean Granger.' It's done."_

_The couple stared at the wills on the table before them. They'd written them, originally, as a simple measure of precaution. Neither of them had wanted to. But neither of them had expected to die._

Andromeda read the wills, put them carefully back into the folder, and owled the ministry. She'd have to stay at St. Mungo's. And young Teddy, the baby, would be raised by his Godfather and his Godfather's best friend. Now, it was time to owl the both of them.

* * *

"Ginny, what the hell were you thinking? This shouldn't be out in the public! None of it should!"

"The rest of the world knew the essentials of what happened, Harry, and they deserved to know the rest!"

They'd been at each other's throats for the entire three hours that afternoon that Harry had flooed to the Burrow. Ginny was defensive, cruel even, in her mission to defend selling the information to Rita Skeeter.

"But why would you do that? It would have come out in time anyway, this is too soon!"

"It's been a year. Ron's been gone nearly six months. He doesn't care, and Hermione isn't here _yelling at me_ , so I'm guessing she doesn't either."

"Hermione, actually, is extremely bothered by it as well. She's not here because she was a disaster before the article! Now I don't know what state she's in, I haven't talked to her yet today."

"Well then why don't you jump on over to your beloved Hermione and ask her how she feels now? You spend more time with her than with me anyway!"

"Gin, that's ridiculous! You're at school, and I can't fly over to Hogwarts to see you every day, you know!"

"It's just not easy, being gone. And Rita showed up asking questions... Harry, do you know what it is that I want to do after school?"

He realized with a start that he didn't. And if he didn't know that about Ginny, what else was he missing? "I don't."

"I want to write. I've been thinking about a position at Witch Weekly - Rita promised to help me find a job when I got out of school in exchange for the information. It's not like she really paid me."

"Getting you a job is still bribing you for information that shouldn't have been released."

The air was still between them for a moment as an owl flew to the window. A letter was attached, with an unfamiliar handwriting, bearing his name. "It's a letter for you."

He took it to the table, curious. How would someone have known to send his mail to the Burrow? He'd only been staying here for the last two days while Ginny was on break. The letter inside was not long, and was accompanied by a copy of another.

_Harry,_

_We've received this letter from Andromeda Tonks. She has fallen ill, and in the event that Ted Tonks does not return by the time that she is admitted to St. Mungos, you'll need to attend a small, private hearing this Friday at noon, regarding the Guardianship of her grandson, Teddy Lupin. Nymphadora and Remus Lupin left direct instructions as to the distribution of their belongings, their home, and the care of their son. The other person concerned in these matters will be joining us._

_Anneryn Fodor,  
Assistant to the Director of Wills and Last Wishes_

Behind this letter was another even shorter letter that had been owled to the Ministry from Andromeda herself. Upon reading, Harry found himself suddenly out of breath - things were about to change in his life, drastically.

"You know what, Ginny? I don't have time for this. The information is out and there's nothing I can do about it now. You may have given a dark wizard exactly what they need to take over the world, you may have twisted information and opinions to make Hermione and I look like fools and like selfish traitors to your brother, but the three of us - those who are _actually_ concerned in the matter - know the real story. I have business to attend to, and I'm going to see Hermione. I'll be going back to my flat in the morning. I don't see any reason to remain at the Burrow, or with you, after any of this." He tucked the letters in his pocket and left Ginny with a shocked face, mouth open wide enough to fit a bludger through.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

_January 2nd, 2000. 12:15. Hearing Regarding the Guardianship of Teddy Lupin..._

"He should be arriving any second now." Kingsley Shacklebolt was seated just a few feet from them, on the other side of the witch in charge of sorting out the instructions left in the wills of witches and wizards under the ministry. Harry wanted to grimace - _what a depressing job. Handling the things of the deceased._ But he could barely breathe. This couldn't be happening.

The wills in question, belonging to Nymphadora and Remus Lupin, were being filed back into the envelope from which they came. It was a lot of paperwork for, essentially, one statement - everything went to Andromeda. And if Andromeda was gone, everything went to Harry. It was the second statement, however, that got Harry to where he was now - in a small office on the second floor of the ministry building, an office of which a small medi-witch had just entered, carrying a fussy baby with fluorescent green hair. Harry stared at the baby in his arms - yes, Teddy was nearly nine months old, but for all intents and purposes, he was obviously still a baby. Hermione was still seated, her hands over her face and mouth, and tears were falling freely down her face. Harry crossed the distance between them and sat beside her, desperately attempting to make eye contact.

"'Mione?"

She shook her head, peeking over her hands long enough to take in the sight of Harry - with a child. Sobs spilled forth from between her fingers, and Harry sighed, nodding the medi-witch over to hold Teddy. Once he was out of sight, Hermione found it much easier to lower her hands, though not any easier at all to stop herself from crying.

"You don't have to do this, if you don't want. I can do it, if you can't. I know your career is important to you... he can live with me, and if I need help I can always floo over, or owl you. It'll be fine."

She shook her head. Harry didn't understand now, and he might not ever. While Hermione appeared to be terribly upset, she really didn't know how to feel. Upset? She had a steady career, she was just learning to function without Ron. Honored? Remus and Tonks had obviously felt capable in her ability to handle _anything._ Confused? How was she supposed to raise this baby with Harry? The pair were practically children themselves. She shook her head again, and Harry's face changed from that of concern to confusion. Wasn't she crying? What did that mean?

"Harry... if Tonks and Lupin wished it to be this way... this is how it will be. I don't know how to work out the details right now, but we can figure something out... Teddy needs both of us - father figure and mother figure. They wrote it this way on purpose, I'm almost sure. If they hadn't, why would they have written me in, in the first place?"

He couldn't compete with her logic. Hell, he'd never been able to. It was those smarts that had saved his life on multiple occasions, and it was that logic that was getting them through this - somehow.

"If that's what you want... it's what they wanted."

"And what do you want, Harry?" The tears had finally stopped. Once the decision had been made, it seemed to Hermione that it was ridiculous that she'd doubted the choice to accept the responsibility. It was a child, yes, but it was Harry's godson, it might as well be her own family. And family was something that the both of them were in need of.

Harry didn't answer, he only beckoned the medi-witch back over with baby Teddy. Hermione took him this time, cradling his small body between her arms. "He's awfully cute. Hi there, Teddy... I haven't seen you in months..."

The baby turned his head towards her, and his hair immediately turned the deepest, richest shade of blue. Teddy cooed, and Hermione's smile lit up the room, making Harry smile as well.

"Hermione, I think he likes you."

* * *

_Two days previous..._

_Three, two, one, Happy New Year!_

Harry, for one, was glad to see the passing of the year - it had been full of bad memories of the war, and death, and fighting - nothing he wanted to bring with him into the new year. The muggles around him cheered wildly, snogging or hugging or drinking themselves into January First. The muggles around him had no idea the importance of the young man sitting in the darkest booth of the pub, or the wild-haired woman across from him. He'd grabbed her hand at the countdown, hoping to bring her out of the quiet, shocked state she'd been in all afternoon.

She'd gotten her letter just after he'd gotten his - and she wasn't taking the news very well. It wasn't that she'd admitted it, verbally. The most Harry had gotten out of her on the subject had been a shake of the head and her hand up, palm facing him. _Not now._

"If you're not going to talk to me, then drink."

She considered the offer, and accepted it as more of a challenge - she drained her drink in one go, enough to make even Harry cringe. The waitresses flooded the restaurant, hoping to get business out of cheery party-goers and celebrators. They succeeded - Harry ordered two more rounds ahead, confunded the waitress asking him for identification, counted out the muggle money and quickly handed it over.

"I just..." She ran her hand through her hair, and looked on the brink of mentioning the subject - the fact that they may or may not be left in charge of Teddy Lupin.

"Just what?"

"Harry, how would we raise a baby? The letter obviously meant the both of us, and obviously had to do with the legal proceedings of who is going to care for Teddy. It's easy to see where it's going, and I just don't know how we could raise a child - we're basically children ourselves!"

"That's what keeps running through my head. But I have no other choice - he's my Godson, and I'll be damned if I am not the best Godfather that Teddy could hope for - I'm going to take care of him. If not... he'll go into the system. He'd likely be adopted. And we'd probably never see him again, since we're not blood related to him. He's the closest thing to family that I have."

Hermione shook her head, immediately drinking from the offerings of the returned waitress. "I know that. And you're the closest thing to family _I_ have. I'm not saying I know what's going on at all, but I'll try and figure things out based on what I can look up. And we'll be at the meeting in just a few days..." Harry nodded, smiling slightly. He'd expected a much worse reaction. As they finished their drinks, more than slightly buzzed and somehow finding some cheer in the new year, Harry paid their final tab and lead Hermione out of the trendy bar by the hand. He took it as a sign of her acceptance of their fate, and of their friendship, that she didn't let go.

"Harry, look at this. There's snow everywhere." She looked at him, eyes slightly closed, a smart smirk on her face. Her cheeks were flushed, from the drinks or from the cold he couldn't tell. They began walking in the direction of Harry's flat, hands swinging between them. Not even five minutes later, she faced him again. "And really, Harry, it's awfully cold. And my feet are numb. We're taking a break." She turned to rest her back against a light pole on a deserted corner. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the pole. Harry didn't release her hand, and he watch a smile slowly creep onto her face - it was the first real, honest smile he'd seen on her face since even before Ron left, and possibly even since before the final battle. The glow of the light above her reflected against her smooth, pale skin, and the snowflakes sticking to her brunette curls made for a sight that Harry found, strangely, attractive. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, her eyes fluttered open and focused on him. "Harry, please don't stare. It's rude. And it makes me feel uncomfortable." To stop his watching, she pulled him into her, wrapping her arms around his neck. Harry wound his arms around her waist, pulling her back to a straight=standing position. They'd need to start walking again anyway, if her feet were numb.

Snow fell around the odd pair on a muggle corner in London. Their embrace was only broken by the sound of thunder, of a storm fast approaching. "Let's go, Harry. I'm cold."

* * *

_January 2nd, 2000. 8:15 PM._

"Well... welcome home, Teddy." Harry said it mostly for comedic effect - it fell flat. Hermione was holding the sleeping baby, and she herself was still shocked into near-silence. Harry set down Hermione's bags, plus the bags of things he'd gone and purchased for Teddy that day. The things that had been at the Tonks' had proved too difficult to move, and he thought Hermione needed something to help push her into the reality that this was. With a flick of his wand, Harry sent the baby's things into his small spare bedroom, and Hermione's things into his own room.

"'Mione, I'll take the couch until we get this all settled. My bed's plenty comfortable. There are extra blankets in the upper part of the closet..."

Hermione looked around at Harry's flat. She'd been there a few times, mostly meeting up before they'd gone out on various occasions, and she'd crashed on the couch on New Year's Eve - but now she was staying here. And she didn't know how long that might be. It had been a long day - the meeting lasted until nearly three, there were so many things to settle out, and then they'd gone to Hermione's small house to gather a few things for her - she'd be staying at Harry's for a few weeks at the least while they settled everything out - and then gone out to get things for Teddy. The last bit had been a disaster - neither of them had ever had siblings, or been around a baby, really. Hermione was more organized than Harry simply because she was _always_ more organized than Harry - it ended up being really helpful when checking things off a list the medi-witch had suggested.

She nodded, unconsciously holding little Teddy even tighter in her arms. The baby stirred, his hair changing rapidly from aqua to blonde, then brown to black as he woke. The cooing sounds she heard just beneath her own face pulled her from her stupor. She supposed that this was for the best - during the incredibly long afternoon, she'd had the strangest feeling that everything was going to be alright - that she and Harry would do just fine raising this child together. She smiled slightly remembering the confused, defeated look on Harry's face when he'd reached a part of the list naming all the things you needed to bathe a baby.

_"Do they really need special shampoo and stuff? That seems like overkill..."_

_She shook her head, smiling. "Honestly, Harry. Babies have sensitive skin, and you know how much shampoo burns when it gets in your eyes? Imagine that from Teddy's standpoint."_

_"Probably feels like sticking an Acid Pop in your eye - I guess it makes sense." He smiled at her and put a hand on her shoulder, and at once, she was sure of their decision - she was sure of everything._

"I suppose we should get the crib together and get him to bed - today has taken forever." Harry removed the crib from a small pouch, the box returning to its original size and quickly becoming more heavy. He stumbled, and almost fell before he grabbed his wand, and levitated it.

"Harry, did you forget that you were a wizard, there?"

He shot her a sidelong glance and she laughed - a frazzled Harry was always a sign that, at least, he was taking things seriously. "Come help me set this up, or at least keep me company."

"I don't know how else I could sit around your flat - it's a bit plain, by the way. Maybe we can paint, once things are settled..."

He hadn't intended to decorate it just yet. He was waiting, honestly, for Ginny to finish school. He'd wanted to test their relationship, to be together for a while, and then to have her move in with him. She could do all the decorating she wanted. That, however, obviously wasn't happening. Instead of starting a future with his now-ex-girlfriend, his best friend and his Godson were moving in. In a way, they were their own small, dysfunctional, wonderful family. When Harry finally figured out the crib (with help from the instructions, magic, and of course Hermione) and Teddy was finally put to bed in his new home, Harry smiled. Maybe this could work out.

* * *

Hermione woke to the sound of wailing, a sound that could only belong to the nine-month-old in the room just down the hall. The wailing subsided for a few moments, then came back, but softer. In three minutes, it hadn't stopped. She rose from bed and wrapped a robe from the door around her, clutching it tightly to her. She realized with a chuckle that it must be Harry's, of course, it was a little too big on her. She pushed the door open and poked her head around the corner, but she wasn't expecting to see Harry himself sitting in the rocking chair beside the crib.

"I thought you hadn't set up the chair yet?"

He started crying a little while ago... I put it together because I kind of needed it."

"You're holding him wrong."

"Excuse me?"

"You have to support his head a little better when he's lying down, and you have to hold him to you." She crossed the room, bending low to move Harry's arms around the baby, who immediately got quieter, then settled into his spot on Harry's chest. Hermione sat on the arm of the rocking chair, looking down at the pair beside her. Teddy's hair went to brown when he slept, and he was honestly the most adorable baby Hermione had ever seen. He clearly had his mother's ability and her eyes, but the rest of him looked strikingly like Remus might have as a child.

"How do you know how to do that?"

"Harry, women learn these things as children. Men... it's not your area, really."

"It is now." He looked up at Hermione and smiled. "I'm just beginning to find a comical side to this situation."

"Comical? Harry, how on earth is this funny?"

"Think about it. Less than a year ago, this baby was born. And while the circumstances surrounding it, well, they suck... I look at it this way: I'm sitting here, after having risen from my couch, rocking a baby with color-changing hair to sleep while my best female mate instructs me on how to do so, and sleeps in my bed. And is that my robe?"

Hermione blushed - it wasn't that it was odd, really, but when one looked at the reasons somebody would normally wear a robe of the opposite sex... "Yes, it is. Your house is warm, I wasn't sleeping in much."

His face twisted into thought for a moment, then fell flat. "Huh."

Silence spread between them. Hermione immediately realized that what she'd said was probably something strange to say to Harry, of all people. Maybe this was comical. She smiled, then started laughing, and she couldn't stop. It was contagious - Harry followed suit, trying to keep quiet and not wake the baby he held. It failed - Teddy began crying again within a minute, and the pair immediately sobered to soothe the child they cared for.

* * *

Molly Weasley's face looked similar to what Harry remembered, in a muggle phrase, as if she'd seen a ghost. Obviously, given the wizarding world, this was not the case, but the fright was similar.

"A baby? Teddy Lupin? Harry, are you sure?"

"Hermione's coming over with him in just a minute. It's true. We got the letter a few days ago, and in just days... we're caring for my godson."

"How on earth can you do that? How do you... well, surely you can afford it. But really, you're too young to be raising a child!"

"That's what we both thought at first. But then they told us that if we didn't take him, he'd be adopted. And since he's not blood related, neither of us would be able to get information on the other when he got older. We'd lose him, forever."

Molly backed up to fall into the chair behind her at the kitchen table. "Really, Harry, this is news! This is... I never expected it. I didn't know they'd written wills."

"I didn't either, but apparently they did. It seemed like a lot of paperwork for them to just leave everything to me. Well, to Andromeda, and with me as the second. But 'Dromeda's sick. After Ted disappeared, and everything... she's not well."

Molly did not answer, but didn't need to. At that moment, Hermione appeared at the door, bringing Teddy in his carrier. "Molly, good to see you. I assume Harry's already told you about this..."

"Oh, dear, let me see him. He looks absolutely like Remus - except for his hair. That's all Nymphadora, I miss them both..." Arthur joined them shortly, having heard the voices downstairs.

"And who is this? Oh, Kingsley told me about this, he did. I was absolutely shocked, but I knew you'd do the right thing, Harry." He put his arm around the younger, darker haired man beside him.

At the sound of Arthur's voice, Teddy turned to look at him, and his hair turned the most vibrant shade of ginger. Hermione laughed immediately, but it took the rest of them to catch on - he'd gone red to match the Weasleys.

As Ginny had left and Ron was still gone, Hermione and Harry accepted the invitation to stay for sunday dinner. The food and the company were welcome, after the past few days. At the end of dessert, which Molly had made too much of and packed for them to take home, she hugged them both. "You both stay well. And watch over this precious child. But if you ever need a break, if you need to go out and have fun, please know that I'm the one to come to. I've raised enough children to know how to deal with them all, and I do miss babies... in fact, what do the both of you have planned for tomorrow? Take a night to relax, and get settled. Unpack, order in, watch movies. Or go out. Do something, and drop Teddy off before work so you can enjoy yourselves. In fact, I could take him while the both of you are at work... free childcare, at least."

"Hermione, what do you think?"

She was used to going home and reading, or watching a little television. She was used to being alone. Now, she was going to get used to living with Harry and with baby Teddy. The idea rushed over her like water, and she nodded. "It's probably for the best. I'm still... not used to this, obviously. And I hadn't thought about what to do at work. I'll probably owl in tomorrow and get the week off - my supervisor will definitely understand, she just had a baby a year ago..."

Molly was overjoyed, and hugged them all once more. "Get home, then. Get a little sleep. I'll see you in the morning. Take care."

* * *

Teddy nearly slept through the night, but at four in the morning, that changed. Hermione woke again to crying, but she also distinctly heard Harry's voice under it.

"Shh, it's alright... I've got you. And I'm even holding you right this time, aren't I?" The cries became more subdued, and finally drifted off. "There you are, much better."

Hermione rose again, tugging the robe around her. She hadn't learned her lesson from the night before, and slept again in nothing but a long sleeve shirt and her underthings. She waited before opening the door this time, though she couldn't figure out why. She listened to Harry calm the baby.

"I know this has to be weird for you, switched around between so many people. But I promise you, now, you're here for good. I'm going to take care of you, okay?"

Teddy made a gurgling noise and got out a few mixed syllables.

"You can't understand me at all, can you? That's alright. I'm just promising you, now. I've got you. And Hermione does, too. This is hard on her, I know it is. But she's in - and I'm so glad she is. I am!" Harry quickly switched into baby-talk, and it took everything in Hermione to not laugh aloud. She listened while Harry told him that he missed Teddy's parents too, and that he'd tell him all about them someday. He talked about teaching him to walk, and fly a toy broomstick - he told him he'd play Quidditch. Hermione smiled at this one - he was already falling for baby Teddy's charm. She finally decided she'd taken long enough outside, and pushed the door open once more.

"Baby talk, Harry. Really. I didn't expect it of you." She kept her voice low, but Harry held a finger to his lips.

 _He's sleeping._ Hermione read Harry's lips and smiled, reaching for Teddy and setting him down in his crib. Harry watched them affectionately, and took the opportunity to pull Hermione towards him as soon as she'd set Teddy down. She smiled, sitting on the armrest of the rocker, but Harry pulled her small frame down onto his lap. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he held her close.

"'Mione... thank you. I'm not actually sure I could have done this by myself." His voice lowered to a whisper throughout the sentence, and Hermione had to pull herself even closer to him to hear. She had to admit, she didn't mind the closeness.

"Anything for Remus and Tonks. And of course, anything for you. I know how much Teddy means to you - he's your family."

"And in your own way, now, you're my family too. I was thinking about it the other day - we're a little dysfunctional. We're two war heroes, still a little broken up about everything. We're best friends, and we're young, and yet we're taking care of a baby - and for all intents and purposes, raising him as if he were our own."

Hermione found no way to respond to that except to smile and nod. There were so many awkward ways that statement could go, but she brought up none of them, deciding instead to let herself drift to sleep on the lap of her best friend.


	3. Chapter 3

She woke early from her slumber, climbing carefully from her position curled up in Harry's lap, with her arms around his neck, and tiptoe-ing to Harry's room. Why had she let herself fall asleep like that? Honestly, it was _Harry_. She'd just been tired, and at least she'd slept well for a few hours - Teddy had slept through six hours without waking, which was a miracle compared to the last two days. Settling into bed, she was surprised to hear a knock at the door. Knowing fully well that Teddy couldn't have done it, she called out.

"Harry?"

"That couch is terribly uncomfortable, and that chair was only comfortable with you there. Otherwise I turned and my back was in it weird."

"I'm sorry?"

"Can I come in?"

She told him to wait, jumped out of bed, and pulled pyjama pants back on with her tank top. "Now you're okay."

He opened the door slowly, peeking as if she might still be indecent. When he saw that she wasn't, he shut the door behind himself. "I was wondering if I could stay in here."

"Of course Harry, it's your bed. I'll just step in and take the couch..."

"No, I don't mean it that way."

"Then what do you mean, Harry? I'm exhausted. It's nearly eight in the morning, hopefully Teddy will sleep another hour or two."

"Will you stay?"

The question was out, and she had no choice but to answer it. Harry was a dear friend, but was sharing a bed right? Even just for sleep?

"I suppose so. I haven't been in a bed with anyone else but Ron, and he stole all the blankets in his sleep."

"Well, I might talk a little - old habit from the scar days, you know." She could see his smile vaguely through the dark, and she heard his footsteps across the wood flooring as he neared the bed. He crawled into bed beside her, and they faced each other for a few moments before he spoke again. "I haven't been in a bed with anyone. Ever."

This shocked her - she thought that surely, he'd slept with Ginny - and perhaps he had, but their implication was that the bed was for sleeping. If it were to be implied that they'd be doing anything other than sleeping... that was beyond Hermione's current capability of thought. She yawned, squirming slightly to get more comfortable.

"I'm glad to sleep next to you, then. You are my best friend..." she trailed off, nearly whispering at the end. He reached out, putting a hand on her cheek, and drew it back shortly after.

"Goodnight, 'Mione."

"Goodnight, Harry."

Hermione turned over and the pair fell asleep together again, this time entirely on purpose.

* * *

The arm was warm, and draped over her middle just so. The warm body behind her was stronger than she remembered it being, and it had broader shoulders, rougher callous skin on the fingers...

"R- " She began to say a name, but it did not fit the person she turned to see. Of course it wasn't Ron - Ron was gone. Harry, however, was quite comfortably nestled in behind her, holding her close. They must have shifted closer while they slept, or... who knew what. Harry was drooling slightly onto his pillow, and Hermione finally learned that yes - Harry's hair did get messier when he slept. He was mumbling slightly, which was probably what woke her up, but before long it turned into clear speech.

"No. I won't let you. Get away from them! I swear, if you come any closer, I _will_ kill you. You're not going to hurt my family."

His family? But, Harry's parents were gone, and... _oh._ She remembered what he'd said about them being a small, dysfunctional family and she knew - Harry was having a nightmare about someone hurting her and Teddy. She turned over slowly, shaking his shoulder.

"Harry... wake up. You're dreaming."

He groaned, muttering out the last few words of a threat that would have made anyone's hair stand on end. "What?"

"You were having a nightmare - you started talking."

He blushed, covering his face with his hands. "I figured I would. How much did you hear? I remember most of the dream..."

"I woke up when you started telling somebody to not hurt your family."

"Oh, well, that's good I guess. Towards the end, anyway. I was just... talking to someone."

"Who was it?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now." He buried his face in his hands again, and Hermione couldn't imagine who could have brought that kind of response out of him - she remembered Harry being strong, facing his fears, not hiding from them behind his outstretched fingers.

"That's... fine. Teddy's probably going to wake soon anyway, you just came in here an hour or two ago. He's slept through the night."

"It's a miracle I didn't have to run in there to calm him down and keep him from waking you."

"And also because he's a baby, and that's what you're supposed to do."

"Right. I'll go check on him now."

As Harry rose and walked into the room across the Hall, it suddenly struck Hermione that more than anything, she just wanted him right back where he was, snuggled up next to her. The thought confused her, so she dropped it - that wasn't a subject or possibility she had the strength to breach, at the moment.

* * *

"A child? Really?" Luna sat across from Hermione in the crowded little teashop, lazily stirring the contents of her cup. "I think things have a way of working themselves out, but are they working out for you?"

Hermione nodded. "It's... we're working on it. Since Ron left, I was having a hard time anyway. I suppose the responsibility is a nice distraction."

"But you're barely of age in the muggle world, and you've got to go out and shop for it. I'm sure you attract a few stares."

"More than a few. And I'm sure that muggles think we're just very young parents, but we feel like parents, in a way. Teddy had no one else."

"What would have happened if you couldn't take him? If you'd said no?"

"He would have been adopted. We never would have seen him again."

"Then I think you made the right choice." Luna dropped her spoon, making a rather loud clinking noise, but she seemed to take no notice. "He is family, in a way. I would give anything to have my family again."

Luna's own father had disappeared when he had not produced Potter at his home, and had not been heard from since. Hermione cringed. It was too similar to her own story. And Teddy, as well.

"I know we did, Luna. It's just such a foreign idea. I can barely believe it, still."

"How is Harry dealing with it?"

"He's doing well. He's actually starting to get really great with the baby, Teddy really likes him. And Harry is always the one to calm him down in the middle of the night, he's usually in there before I'm even awake."

Luna smiled softly, and nodded her head. "I think you and Harry are going to be great parents."

"Well, we're not really..."

"But you are. You're his mother and father figure. And perhaps you'll have your own children one day."

Hermione nearly spat out her tea. The idea of having a child with Harry was beyond ridiculous, it was absolutely bonkers. Then again, the suggestion had come from Luna. It was almost to be expected.

"Yes... perhaps. I'm not sure I can handle more than one though."

The pair talked for another hour, catching up in the packed teashop, and then went their separate ways with a hug. Just before apparating, Luna turned to Hermione and smiled. "I go back to school in just a few days, I'm sure you know. But feel free to owl me, I would love the conversation."

Hermione left the meeting feeling strange, mostly because of the fact that she couldn't let go of the suggestion Luna had made about her and Harry having a child one day. She shook her head, walking for a few minutes to settle down before apparating home - to Harry's apartment.

* * *

She found him sitting on the floor of his sitting room, surrounded by bits of plastic and metal, and a strange looking cloth thing. He was trying to build the stroller.

"Harry what on earth are you doing?"

"Building the stroller, I think. But probably incorrectly."

"You know you could just do it by magic? It would take less than a second."

"I want to do this my way."

"Oh right, hardworking Valiant Potter wants to work out a muggle contraption he's never laid eyes on without magic."

"You could help me, you know."

She hadn't thought of that. She had half a mind to turn and walk away, tell him she had work to do on her case for work, but something compelled her to sit down beside him and pick up a large piece, studying it.

"This is the tray bit. It sits in the front, it's the basic front piece."

He blinked at her, as if he was also in disbelief that she actually sat down to do this the hard way. "Yeah. I thought that might be it. I think it attaches to these pole things, like this." He stuck two pieces of metal into the sides of it, and they all clicked together. Piece by piece, the entire stroller clicked together, slowly coming to resemble their end goal, the finished product. It took nearly an hour, but at the end of the sixty minutes, the stroller was built completely and sitting in front of them. Harry stood it upright and pushed it gingerly, as if rolling it might cause a catastrophe.

"I think it's done."

"There are no more parts left, Harry. It has to be."

"Right. Let's test it out. Do you want me to go get Teddy?"

"I'll do it. He'll probably need a change anyway."

"I still can't figure out those diaper tabs."

"You'll learn soon, Harry. In fact, come with me."

"I don't want any part of a soiled diaper."

She grinned at him, and it looked maniacal - evil. He groaned. "Fine. Let's hurry this up."

She talked him through changing Teddy's diaper while she picked out a little outfit for him to wear, and when Harry was done she slipped it on, sweeping up the baby and walking him into the sitting room, settling him into his stroller.

"'Mione, I'm going to take Teddy for a little walk. Would you... would you like to come with me?"

The fact that he asked said everything - that he was as unsure about this parenting thing as she was, that he had her wants and needs in his mind, that he cared about how much she was willing to put into this. She looked at her best friend then in an entirely new light - he wasn't just the boy who had ensured peace for the Wizarding world, he wasn't just The Boy Who Lived, he was Harry, and that was so much more. He was her best friend, her confidante, her light on a dark day. Harry had supported her decision throughout all of this and he had been prepared to care for Teddy himself if Hermione had had the slightest doubt that she would have been able to handle it. He cared about her, deeply, and while she'd always known something like it, it wasn't until this very second that she realized that he truly meant it.

She had a short flashback of New Years, of herself leaning against a lamppost, of Harry leaning into her and holding her close. Hermione had always thought of herself as the rock in their group of friends - the dependable, smart, level-headed one of the bunch. But perhaps that person wasn't her at all, or at least it wasn't anymore. Perhaps her rock always was, and always would be, the raven haired young man before her.

She smiled sheepishly, nodding. "Yeah. I'd love to."

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

He walked just behind her, pushing the stroller along with her. She'd started pushing, but just a few blocks later she looked tired - perhaps it was the lack of sleep that caused it, but Hermione wouldn't even let Harry push the stroller. He opted instead to put his arms on either side of her, hands resting over hers, and to push the stroller with her. Walking this way was a little awkward, but funny, and the pair enjoyed the stroll through the neighborhoods and park around them.

"What do you think he's going to be like when he grows up?" Harry bent down to rest his head on Hermione's shoulder, effectively pressing his face into hers.

She rolled her eyes. "Probably too much like yourself - stubborn, smart but lazy, and a complete troublemaker. He's the child of a Marauder, after all."

"Rest his soul, Lupin was probably the most problematic of them all - being a werewolf and everything."

"Do you think he's inherited that bit at all?"

Harry shook his head beside hers, knocking into her cheek.

"Sorry - but no, I don't think so. They would have noticed something by now, wouldn't they? He would have transformed, or at least gotten a little hairy around the full moon. They never said a thing about it though."

"Wouldn't that be a disaster - a werewolf, less than a year old - imagine trying to change the diapers."

They laughed, and as it died down they walked in silence again, hearing nothing but Teddy's gurgling and the birds in the trees lining their street.

Harry peeked over Hermione's head to check Teddy and laughed. "He's changed his hair again. And his eyes a bit, too."

Hermione took a peek and sure enough, Teddy had been imitating people again - he had a short shock of her own thick, chesnut hair. But his eyes were Harry's eyes - and even on a baby, it made her breath catch in her throat. She'd always admired Harry's eyes...

"Well 'Mione, I guess we don't have to wonder what our child would look like, if we had one."

There he was now, mentioning the possibility, even indirectly. Was everyone just going to lock them in a broom closet, then?

"I suppose so." Silence fell again, and the pair slowed to a stop in front of their building, turning into it and going back up to Harry's flat.

 

* * *

"I don't want to hear it, Gin."

"Harry please! I came back this weekend to apologize! I shouldn't have taken the offer from Rita, I should have turned her down."

"This is something that could inspire dark magic in young children. Voldemort used what he knew about Horcruxes to make himself nearly immortal. This got into the wrong hands - hundreds of thousands of pairs of the wrong hands."

"It was a mistake!"

"One you'll have to pay for!" He barked this response so loudly that it caused them both to jump.

Ginny had shown up at Harry's flat Monday morning with a death wish - he was sure of it. Hermione had just left the flat to go ask her boss for one more week off work to figure the last of things out and make sure Molly was really up to the task of babysitting Teddy that often. Ginny had come in when she'd seen Hermione leave, and she had every intention of getting Harry to come back to her. He wasn't having any of it.

"Harry, please..." She put a hand on his shoulder and he sighed, turning to face her. He kissed her forehead, but put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her out, an arms distance away.

"This is full of things I told you in secrecy - you letting everything out is something I can't just overlook. I loved you, Gin. I probably still do. But you made a terrible error in selling information to Rita Skeeter. And I can't forgive you for that, not now."

Ginny nodded, fighting back tears. "I love you, Harry. And I know you love me. When people love each other, they forgive each other. I don't want to lose you..."

She looked at him, and he nearly broke down - he nearly gave in. But a firm shake of the head and a thought to his godson gave him the strength to say no.

"You're not losing me - not as a friend, not ever. I just don't think this relationship is working out for us, and this is something that it's going to take me a long time to get over. I need space - lots of it. And I need to be able to focus on raising a baby nearly on my own."

"You're not on your own though - you have your friend Hermione here..."

"And I'm not going to leave her alone with Teddy on the weekends to jut off to Hogwarts and visit you. That's irresponsible, not something I want to do anyway, and it's not right for my godson. Ginny, we're done. Maybe forever, maybe not. But I can't do this right now."

Ginny said nothing, she only drew back her hand and smacked his face, running out the door with tears streaming down her face.

"I didn't deserve that."

Teddy cooed in the corner, and Harry pretended to take that as an agreement.

 

* * *

Forks scraped plates and glasses clanked on the table. Hermione had come home from the talk with her boss nearly exhausted - she was allowed even more time off that expected, a full four months paid time off for what her boss would call 'adoption adjustment time'. Apparently, it had become a popular thing around, with children orphaned in the war being adopted now. Hermione had been given the opportunity and took it, though it was far more time than she would have liked - she was already itching to return to work, despite having a full plate around the flat with figuring out living arrangements with Harry and caring for Teddy and...

"I broke up with Ginny today."

"Excuse me?" She must have heard him wrong.

"The article just set a few things off. I need to focus on Teddy right now, and what she did was unforgiveable. Plus, she's still at school, I can't be jumping over to Hogwarts every weekend for her with a baby at home. It's for the best."

He looked at Hermione as he finished this and she nodded. "It probably is for the best. Are you okay with it?"

"I'm fine. I just think it's still shocking me a little. I can't believe she told Rita everything..."

"It's the dark bits that she especially should have kept secret. But those were the biggest parts."

"And that's dangerous. I know. I told her, she kept apologizing but..."

"It wasn't enough?" Harry nodded. Hermione sighed. "I know the feeling. I always wonder what's going to happen when Ron comes back - we all know he will. But I'm just angry with him, even though he's not here. He just left. And I want to throttle him, even though I miss him and parts of me still love him."

Harry nodded again. "He's my best mate. But he just disappeared... I'd say that's unlike him, but..."

The pair laughed, but it was bittersweet - neither wanted to remember the two months they had spent together in winter, Ron had abandoned them then too. It had been a joke between them now, since Ron had left - again? It stemmed from Harry's initial reaction to the news that Ron had really left. He'd said it, clear as day, in front of the entire immediate Weasley family, a few family friends, and half of the Order. Really? Again? Hermione had laughed, the rest of them had stayed stone silent. It was like Harry hearing Snape had taken over DADA all over again. No!

As the chuckles died, Harry smirked. "Again?" He whispered, just low enough for the two of them to hear, despite being the only ones in the flat besides the baby, sleeping peacefully in his crib.

 

* * *

Harry's arm was around her again. She should have expected it - perhaps he was just that kind of sleeper, the one who naturally curled up with whatever it was in bed with - a pillow, a few blankets, or it's best friend. The best friend, of course, being her. She didn't care to move - Teddy was stirring in the other room, but didn't sound awake enough to start crying any time soon. It was five in the morning, which was much too early to get up or do anything productive. Harry muttered something in his sleep, but it didn't sound like anything from a nightmare - he said something about 'another chance' before snoring again. Hermione smiled, resting her head back on the pillow and scooting back even closer into Harry. If she was going to sleep in this close contact with her best friend, she might as well enjoy the benefit - during an especially cold winter, he was ridiculously warm.

When she did wake again, Hermione saw only one thing in her mind - Ron's letter. She still hadn't opened it, and it had been nearly seven months now since he'd left. Perhaps it gave some great explanation as to where he was going and why. Perhaps he apologized, or gave her a way to contact him. Perhaps it was full of things he hated about her, and he officially broke up with her in the envelope - she almost would have preferred that to being left on the edge like she had been. She hadn't been sure whether or not to classify herself as single or not - she and Ron had technically been together when he left, though he'd never really ended things with her. So where had that left her? She realized with a pang that if he wanted to keep the relationship going, he'd have written more than one letter, or he'd have stayed.

And there it was - seven and a half years of stolen glances, unresolved romantic tension, and a few needy kisses, thrown to the wind. It was over. She believed it to be over, and Ron wasn't even there to argue it with her. He could be dead, for all she knew, he could have moved on and married a veela...

The tears fell freely - she'd held them in long enough, and nobody was there to see her cry besides Harry, who'd already seen it happen too many times to count. Great sobs took over, and she drew breath in as slowly as she could, but not smoothly enough to not wake Harry, sleeping so close behind her - and only because she'd gotten closer. She cursed herself silently for moving so close at night - getting that close meant that she could only hurt him, or wake him in this case, and she didn't want to do that. Before she could hold her breath, make the crying stop, Harry's arm pulled back, and his hand ran up and down her side and back. He made a shh sound, long and low, and bent his head in behind hers, pressing his face into her hair - it smelled like flowers, and mint.

"Don't cry, Hermione..."

She sobbed openly now - Harry's suggestion to not cry had only made her realize that Harry probably cared more about her than her own boyfriend had. He held her close, and then managed to roll her so that she was facing him and he was on her back, and she threw herself very nearly on top of him lying across his chest. He ran his hands over her back, through her hair, over her hands and face. When her sobs subsided, ending in a few spluttering coughs and a magically summoned handful of tissues, she took in a deep breath, but laid back on his chest.

"Thank you, Harry. I'm sorry I woke you up, it's not even eight."

"What's wrong? Why were you crying?"

"Ron."

"I figured. Say no more... and Hermione, remember. I'm always here for you. Don't keep it in, I can handle it." He reached down, hooking his arms under her own and pulling her up to him, holding her body close to his own and petting her hair again. She let herself relax in the arms of her best friend - the one that had always been there for her, and always would be.

 

* * *

She flipped it in her hands again, but there was no denying the truth - she was opening the letter. Now. Harry sat beside her, looking nervous. After a long walk with Teddy on which they discussed possibly moving into Hermione's house instead of Harry's much smaller flat, she'd requested that he sit with her while she read it. Now he sat watching, more apprehensive than she was. Would she cry again? Would it be good news, or bad, or neither? Would he explain what he was doing, why he'd left, or where he'd gone? The envelope wasn't particularly thick.

"I'm going to open it now."

Harry nodded at her. "Go ahead, then. I'm here."

"Do you want me to read it aloud?"

"Will you be able to? Without, you know, suffocating?"

She very nearly smiled. "Most likely not."

"Then don't. I can read over your shoulder."

The first tear of the paper was exciting, the second was dreadful. While Hermione pulled the two clean sheets of paper from the envelope he grimaced - they were the neatest things he'd ever seen Ron write. It was clear that this wasn't the first draft - when she unfolded the paper, everything was in scratchy, but slow writing - Ron had taken care to word everything just right. Unfortunately, it was still probably wrong.

 

__Hermione_ _

 

 

___I apologize, in advance. I should have told you I was leaving. Hell, I should have taken you with me. I chose to leave without you, in the end, because I wanted to be able to make a name for myself without being in your shadow. You've always been smarter than me, more determined, and much more logical in school and everything else. Harry's always had the Chosen One thing going for him. I had nothing - I abandoned the both of you at a terrible time, and here I am doing it again. Probably not the best decision in the long run, but I have to give it a shot. I have to prove to everyone that I was worthy of you. That I was worthy of Harry's friendship, of your friendship and of your love. I have to make up for leaving you by leaving you - I know it doesn't make much sense now, but maybe it will later._ _ _

___I love you, Hermione. I have for a long time, and I probably always will. I'm not sure what me leaving is going to mean in all of this - of course in my heart, you're waiting for me when I get back, probably with a sandwich and a smile. But my brain is a bit smarter than that - you may have completely moved on by the time I come home. The problem is, I don't know when I'm coming back. I don't know if I'm going to come back within weeks, or months, or even years. If things go well enough here, I might not come back at all, and I'm just being honest when I say that. Harry will take care of you, I just know it. I know he has a lot on his plate already - Auror training, visiting my sister, and whatever else the war has cost him - but he's our best friend, he's my best mate in the world and I know he'll be here for you when you need him most. Take care of him too, for me - I'm not really sure just how hard the war was on him, and right now it's too hard to tell._ _ _

___I'm not terribly far - in fact, I'm an hour away by broomstick, less than two hours by muggle car. I'm not going to be in a big city or a small town, but somewhere in between, in a nice little wizarding village I've heard good things about. Maybe when things start going better, you can come visit - we can work on working things out. Tell my family I love them, and tell Harry that what I told him at the end of the war - he'll know what I'm talking about - still applies, especially now. I'm sure you're doing well, probably taking the ministry by storm already, making laws and fighting for elves and things - and I'm proud of you, even if I'm not there watching._ _ _

___Again, I'm sorry, and I love you. We'll work on seeing what we can do about us when I return. In case of emergency, get in contact with Neville - he's teaching at Hogwarts, do you believe that? Already. He's got contact information for me, but only in an emergency._ _ _

___Always yours,_ _ _

___Ron_ _ _

He'd clearly re-written in so many times in an attempt to sound intelligent - and it had worked, for the most part. But his tricky phrasing and drawn out apologies were no match for Hermione, who let a few tears fall onto the parchment in her hand.

"Harry, what if he doesn't come back at all?"

"Then he doesn't. And that's his loss. Hermione, I'm so sorry... I'm proud of you for finally opening it, but I wouldn't want to hear any of that again."

"I just don't get it - and I've been asking myself for months. He obviously still loves me - or did when he wrote this - but I'm doubting we're still in a relationship, after all this time. If he really cared about it... he'd have written."

"If he really cared about it, about your relationship, he wouldn't have left at all. I don't doubt that he cares deeply about you - he didn't write anyone else a letter - but he messed things up with you."

"What did he mean by what I was supposed to tell you?"

"It's nothing. I'll explain another day, it's not something I want to talk about right now, but I'm glad he mentioned it. Might actually come in handy." He chuckled. "What do you want to do with it?"

"Burn it, honestly. But I'll put it in my bag and keep it, in case I want it one day."

"That's probably a good idea." He watched her shuffle down the hallway and then back towards him. He pulled her down beside him on the couch, wrapping his arms around her and holding her there for a while.

"Harry?"

"Yes?"

"Can we move back into my house? I like your flat, but it gets awfully cold without a heater, and Teddy needs to stay warm, and my house was a bit bigger anyway..."

"Of course. We can work on that in the next four months - I have no doubts that I can postpone my training to help with the baby. In fact, I have the new head of the Auror office kissing _my_ arse. Being the Chosen One has it's privileges."

"Especially now that it's just not girls trying to slip you love potions." The pair laughed.

"Yes, please, no love potions. Come on, 'Mione. Let's go get Teddy up - if he sleeps all day we'll never get him to sleep tonight." And Harry pulled her back up off the couch, holding onto her hand as he lead her into the baby's room, keeping her as close as possible - for strictly platonic rocking chair snuggling with her and Teddy.


	5. Chapter 5

"Your turn."

"Do I have to?"

"Oh yes. I took your turn a few hours ago."

"Damn." Harry sat up, rubbing his eyes. Hermione had woken before him, hearing Teddy wailing from the other room, and shook him awake. He couldn't say he liked it. Rising from bed, he looked for his robe on the back of the door where he usually kept it, only to realize it was missing. His bare upper body was not as warm as his legs underneath his sleeping pants.

"'Mione? Have you seen my robe?"

"I used it earlier... on the dresser."

"I figured you'd know." She'd taken habit to using his robe instead of her own, even though they were now living in her house and her robe was just as accessible. He grinned, rolling his eyes and snatching his robe off the dresser. "I'd probably look ridiculous in yours, is all." And he would have - where his was thick, black terrycloth down to his knees, hers was a short, royal blue silk with a cinched tie waist. Teddy needed a mother _and_ father figure, not two mothers...

He slipped through the door, throwing his robe on and walking the short distance down a somewhat familiar hallway towards the baby's room.

She'd decorated it with a few flicks of her wand on their first day moving in - olive green paint, dark wood furniture, and his favorite addition - a rocking chair with a sturdy base, wide enough for two to sit closely together on the padded seat. They'd taken advantage of it every night since they moved in a week previous, and when Harry picked up Teddy, changed him, and sat in it tonight - he felt strangely compelled to call Hermione in to sit with him. He ended up not needing to - she peeked her head in the door not five minutes later.

"Everything alright?"

"It's fine. He needed a diaper change, and he's just a bit fussy still."

She walked in anyway, motioning for him to scoot over. He grinned.

"What are you smiling about?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking... it would have been nice to have you in the chair with me. And then you were here."

"Your wish come true."

He shook his head, still smiling slightly. He looked at his best friend - smooth, pale skin, her hair a little messier from sleeping, her cheeks flushed from the early morning air and possibly from just having said that. Harry had never really taken too much time to appreciate Hermione's beauty - it was strange, after all, to think of her that way - but he had to admit that here, in this light and in this early morning hour, that she really was attractive. Ron was really missing out. He nudged her, and she smiled, leaning into him and looking over his shoulder at the baby.

"Yeah, something like it." He smirked as she burrowed farther into his side, watching him rock baby Teddy back to sleep. She stood to leave, and Harry nodded to her. Somehow, she knew what he was saying. _Pick Teddy up?_ She obliged, picking up the small baby with today's jet black hair and smiling, bending over the crib to set him back into the crib. She made hushing noises while she did, keeping him asleep, and Harry had to avert his eyes - he found himself staring at her bum for a moment too long. She turned to him, smiling, and sat next to him. He allowed himself to close his eyes and hold her close, and as he drifted off to sleep, he whispered softly in her ear.

"Thank you, Hermione. For everything. You're going to be an excellent mother." He swore he could feel her tense up before he swept her up, taking them both back to bed.

* * *

The doorbell rang. This wasn't a good sign. Hermione had informed those at work that she was staying with Harry, and all of Harry's relations were under the impression that he was still at home, caring for the baby. But it rang again - not a mistake, not a salesman.

"'Mione! Door!" Harry himself was setting Teddy down in his crib after the pair had taken him to the park for the afternoon. He'd smiled for nearly the entire afternoon, watching passerby and butterflies and rolling himself over and over on the blanket he'd set up on a level of the play set. Hermione had set him back on proper course when he'd gotten too close to the edge, and Harry himself had gotten the baby to crawl a foot or two without falling over. It had been relaxing, and he'd enjoyed seeing Hermione smile like that - out in the sun on a particularly warm February afternoon, smiling at the baby and at Harry himself.

He'd admitted to himself that afternoon that despite everything that had happened, he'd somehow developed something slightly stronger than a crush on Hermione. She was intelligent but funny, careful but carefree. She could change a diaper in under thirty seconds and get Teddy back to sleep in a matter of minutes. She was still hurting from Ron's abandonment, but she was trying to stay strong, through it all. He admired her, to say the very least.

He heard her quick footsteps rushing down the hallway and Hermione usher a quick, cold greeting to the visitor.

"Oh. Hello."

After that, however, he'd heard a voice he wasn't particularly excited to hear. His ex-girlfriend called out. "Harry? I know you're here! You have to be here!"

"Oh, goodness." Harry muttered, walking out into the sitting room with his hands over his face. Ginny was rushing towards him, looking worried. Of course, of all days, Ginny had to show up on the day he'd started admitting to himself that he had feelings for Hermione.

"Oh, I knew it. What _are_ you doing here? Why aren't you at _your_ place? And why are you living with _her_?"

"Gin, what are you doing here?"

Hermione had gone awfully pale next to the door, and he nodded towards the bedroom they now shared on most nights. _Go._

"Harry I had to come see you, I left Hogwarts for a week, I told them I might have felt Spattergroit coming on and they let me go. I came to see you, to fix things."

"Gin, you really can't do this."

"What do you mean, I can't do this? I'm here, aren't I?" She stepped closer, until she was just a foot from him. Harry stepped back. She noticed.

"Harry, what's going on? You're living with Hermione? I had a feeling... I talked to the manager of your building, she said you'd sold the place! And you couldn't have just up and left. And you have Teddy. So I knew you were here. I just... came to talk."

He sighed, sitting down on the couch and patting the spot next to him. She sat, but did not attempt to get too close again.

"Look, Ginny. I loved you, we had something special - but it really fell apart over the last few months anyway. Things are not as easy as they were when we were both at Hogwarts. I have a career and my Godson to care for. I rarely see you, except apparently when you lie to Hogwarts staff for a possible illness. It's only the end of January now, you'd have four more full months until you were out. I just... I care a lot about you, Gin, but I have other commitments. I can't be visiting you, and leaving the baby. I just don't have feelings for you, anymore. And as for Hermione, she cares for Teddy with me, we basically _have_ to live in the same place. She's my best friend."

Ginny nodded, but said nothing, wiping tears from her eyes and leaving Harry on the couch without a word. He took a moment to sort things out in his head - The rest of the Weasley's couldn't be unhappy with him, couples broke up almost as often as they got together, and he and Ginny hadn't actually been together long anyway. She'd dated other guys. And they all knew Harry had responsibilities - the only family he had left, besides Hermione. Who, of course, wasn't even really his family...

He stood, walking into the bedroom. She wasn't there. He checked the baby's room and found her sitting in the rocking chair, holding Teddy close and whispering to him.

"You okay, 'Mione?"

"I'm fine, Harry. You're the one I'm worried about. What was all that?"

"Well, I think if she shows up again and gets emotional, _I'm_ going to cry. Honestly, I can understand that she's upset, but she has to know that everything I do, I do for the baby and for you."

"Why for me?"

Harry wished he hadn't said that. He'd only said it because in his mind, he knew he had feelings for her. Out in reality? To _Hermione_? That was different.

"I just... I care a lot about you. You know that. You're my best friend, and you came into taking care of Teddy with me, and I really... admire you." _Yeah. Admire._

"That's... thank you, Harry. It means a lot." He could tell she was trying not to smile as wide as she was, but he sat beside her and threw an arm around her and pulled her in for a quick hug.


	6. Chapter 6

He'd changed four diapers, two sets of baby clothes, and one of his own shirts. It wasn't even three in the afternoon. His day without Hermione was going, admittedly, terrible. Teddy seemed to sense that she was out for the day, stocking up on diapers and formula for the next two weeks. Teddy was in an especially fussy mood until Harry had pulled out a box of old tapes, determined to find something that would distract the infant. Everyone knew Tonks had been fascinated with muggle videos - she'd always thought they were better than wizarding photographs because sometimes, on video, you could capture one small moment and rewatch it again and again, whereas the photographs were like miniatures of the subject of the picture.

The first one he pulled out had no label - and he quickly found out that not many of them did. The only word on them, which he found immensely strange, was his own name scrawled on a sticky note attached to the first tape. He removed it and popped it into the player under the television, something he luckily knew how to work from afternoons alone at Privet Drive, and pressed play. Immediately, Tonks' face filled the screen, her hair a vibrant red at the time of filming.

"D'you think it's working, dear?"

" _Please,_ don't call me dear."

"Fine, _love._ Is it working?"

"Is the little red light on?"

"That one there?" She poked at a spot just above the watchers point of view.

"Yes."

"Excellent. Hello, little camera people. I'm Tonks. That lump of grumpy over there is my beloved wonderful, just-so-cheerful fiance. I don't think he enjoys my taping today, but he's going to have to deal with it. He bought me this camera to play around with, he knew I wanted one. And as our oh-so-soon 'wedding' is going to be a big secret, I don't see much opportunity of getting one as a gift." Harry could hear Remus grunt in the background, and he laughed. He'd become more and more stubborn as the years passed, but he had finally let himself go enough to be with the woman he loved. Tonks grinned. "Anyway, I hope this video has reached the intended. The war is coming up, and despite the beautiful miracle stirring itself up in my belly, it's a scary time for all of us. I'm recording a set of tapes in case we die." The smile faded from her face, as well as Harry's. As if Teddy could sense that something wasn't right, he began to whimper. Harry held him closer. "It's possible. We've all known it for years now, I suppose - since _he_ returned. But now it's finally happening, isn't it?" She looked worried - frightened, even. Something that Harry had never seen flashed over Tonks' face - fear. He stopped the video, feeling too squeaming to finish. Perhaps he'd show these to Hermione when she returned. There was something odd about the tapes that he couldn't quite figure out.

* * *

"'Mione?"

"I'm in the kitchen. Teddy's made a mess again, I'm just rinsing his chair..."

Harry turned the corner to see Hermione huddled over the sink, with Teddy in one hand and the cloth cover for his chair in the other. He crossed the room quickly, took the cover, and shooed her away.

"I've got it, change him."

"Already did."

"Then there's something I'd like to talk to you about. I was going through the boxes we got - of Remus and Tonks' things. And I found some tapes - muggle technology. Remember those?"

"Of course. Video cameras. Have you watched any of them?"

"I started watching one, but it's eerie. She was already pregnant, and I assume it was just before she and Remus actually got married. They were still hiding out when these were filmed, I think. But I think... I don't know, I think they were left for us. They were all bound together in order, and Tonks said something strange on the first one - 'I hope this video has reached the intended.' Do you think she taped these for us? That's the only thing I can think of."

"Perhaps. Let's go watch one."

They popped in the tape and Harry saw the familiar opening to the first video. Harry watched Hermione watch the first few moments, her lips parted slightly and her hair falling just over one shoulder. The light from the kitchen was making her glow - Harry had to shake himself to concentrate when he realized he was missing parts he hadn't seen yet. Video-Tonks continued, as stone-serious as Harry had ever seen her. Tonks was usually full of life, smiling even in the midst of battle. Seeing her with mouse brown hair, no fire in her eyes - it was unreal. Tonks, the optimistic one, the cheerful one, was somber as a funeral. Perhaps she'd already been to a funeral or two by this point. It wasn't unlikely.

_"The Order has to be very careful about who we even associate with anymore. We can't talk to friends about what's happening, we can't really prepare for anything because we don't entirely know what Voldemort has up his sleeve, or how he has come about again. The only shoulders we have to cry on, are each others. And yet we all need each others support. These are dangerous times - moreso than I think anyone in the public knows. If Voldemort wins - if he kills you, Harry, and you, Hermione - it's going to be much worse than the ministry interference at Hogwarts. That will look like a walk in the park..."_

Hearing Harry's own name seemed to perk his interest. He paused the video, turning to Hermione. Tonks' hair had turned to a mousy brown, and he knew this wasn't going to be a cheerful tape. "It's late. Put Teddy down... and then we need to figure out why Tonks recorded these videos - for us."

When she returned, Harry was staring at the screen - it was in the exact place that he'd paused the video before, Tonks was looking directly into the camera, which was at this point held by Remus as Tonks begun what was surely something about the war - something that, from her tone, perhaps Harry and Hermione hadn't known at all. Hermione sat down beside him, and did not resist the urge to interlace her fingers with his own, pull him back against the couch, and start the tape again.

_"And I don't think anyone will survive, honestly. He'll round up anyone who doesn't have the purest blood and kill them - every one. No mercy for those who have his sentiments. And those who have opposed him - both of you and both of us - will surely be killed. He'll kill every member of our families, just for being related to us. Our friends. He'd surely kill the Hogwarts staff. Anyone who dared speak up against him. It's the traitors I'm worried about - those who he thinks are on his side. Severus being the biggest. If the Dark Lord ever found out the vital bits that Snape has done for us - for you, Harry - he'd be worse than dead. Torture would seem fun next to whatever he'd come up with for Snape._

_"I'm making these tapes to inform you of a few things you need to know. The Order doesn't like that I'm doing this - expressly forbade it, actually. But Harry, Remus and I care a lot about you - Remus has been fiercely protective of you since the day you both met - must have something to do with you being the spitting image of James, of course. Or having your mothers eyes..."_ Tonks paused, obviously on the brink of tears. In a moment, she was calm again, looking dead into the camera. _"There are things that you weren't told, Harry - secrets about the War. About Voldemort. His followers. Things you never would have guessed, that made all the difference. Things that explain why my father will surely be snatched up by Death Eaters any day now. Things that explain why the baby in my own body is so Taboo, and the dangers I've unfortunately forced upon you both by bestowing on you both, his Guardianship._

 _"If you're watching - Harry, Hermione - I want you to show these to Teddy when he's old enough. Very few pictures were taken of Remus and myself, separately or together - this is one of the only remaining documents of our lives. I also want to thank you - Remus does too."_ At this, they heard a grunt behind the camera - and saw Tonks smile. Remus must have smiled himself, and Harry remembered days...

 _"I also want you to know, there is somewhere you should go if you ever run into trouble. This is to be kept very secret - I'm not recording it, for safety's sake. If something ever happens to the baby, or to either of you, I want you to follow the directions on the slip of paper inside the container for this tape. Go there. Whatever you run into, they'll keep you safe."_ Tonks somber attitude was replaced with a smile and her trademark shade of pink hair. She gave a little wave to the camera, and then the recording went black.

* * *

Harry had memorized the location on the paper, but still he could not wrap his head around what Tonks had been saying. _Things that you weren't told... about the war... the baby in my own body is so taboo... the dangers by bestowing on you both his Guardianship..._ What could she mean? By any of it? Hermione had just woken up to give Teddy a bottle, and she was back within minutes.

"He's been so fussy tonight. I can't get him to eat, he's been crying since this afternoon when we watched the tapes..."

"What do you think she meant? What secrets?"

"Well I suppose we'll figure it out on the other tapes. How many were there?"

"Two others. Not long, just... things she wanted us to know, I guess. I think there was somebody after her - after them."

"For what?"

"Just being a known member of the order is enough. But to be carrying a half-werewolf baby? To be personally helping me on my way to defeating Voldemort? Yeah, I can see how he wouldn't agree with that."

Hermione sighed, rolling over and fitting into Harry's side. He'd stopped thinking so much when she did this - it was normal now. They slept in the same bed, very close. The fact that he had admitted to himself to having feelings for her didn't make it any easier to resist wrapping his arms around her, and pulling her in close...

"Harry, we'll worry about it when it comes around. For now, I'm absolutely knackered, Teddy's finally asleep for a little while, and I'd really just like to relax a little..." She threw an arm over his chest, raised her head, and looked him in the eyes. Harry could almost feel himself turning red, she was so close, he wanted to just lift his head and kiss her, and deal with how she felt later. He knew she was still upset over Ron, and the war, and losing her parents. This wasn't the right time. But what if he waited too long? And why was she moving closer? Was she going to...

She pressed her lips to his cheek, and he very nearly died. "Goodnight, Harry. We'll discuss this in the morning."

And all Harry could think was that of course they'd discuss the tapes in the morning, and the baby - but how long would it be before he felt comfortable discussing his feelings for her?


	7. Chapter 7

In the morning, however, there was not ample time to discuss. Harry woke to the sound of crying - not coming from the room across the hall. Teddy seemed to be perfectly asleep, whereas Hermione's warm frame was missing from beside him in bed. He rose, throwing a t-shirt on and padding into the living room as quietly as possible, trying not to wake the baby.

"Hermione?"

"Harry... pack everything. There's something... I think the tapes were a warning. We have to leave. They know we're here. They're coming for us - they might be surrounding the house at this very moment. I've got Teddy's things - his crib, clothes, formula, everything. We need to get our own things."

"What are you talking about? Come back to bed, its seven in the morning and Teddy's asleep this late for once. I can't..."

"Look, Harry!"

He did. There was a fleeting moment where he hesitated, and then another where he wished he hadn't looked at all. He could now tell the source of Hermione's worries - the severity was unknownd. . But of anything Harry knew, it was that the odd shaped gray mass above his house wasn't your usual storm cloud - it was _Morsmordre_ \- the Dark Mark. Only the most devout of Voldemort's old regime still had theirs, or still followed the old protocol. Whoever it was, was serious - and was out for one of them. "We can be out of here in twenty minutes. Do you have the beaded bag?"

"That's where it all is. I'll pack clothes, you pack the tapes, food, necessities. Anything of Tonks' or Remus' that might explain anything. Teddy's sitting in his carrier, he's asleep again for now. It'll be difficult to get out of here..."

"I'm connected to the Floo Network. Not a problem, I'll find a house to get into, we'll work from there. Somewhere they wouldn't expect us to go."

"Harry, I'm scared." She stepped forward, placing her hands on his chest. The dim gray morning cast shadows across her face, where tears were freely flowing still. Even though he found her devastatingly beautiful at the worst of times, he did not enjoy seeing her like this. Worried. He nodded, wrapping his arms around her.

"I'll protect you from anything out there - anything. Let's move - but stay close. They could be watching through windows - I want you to stay only in rooms with small windows, or those charmed to look empty - my room, Teddy's, the bathroom. Do you understand? We want to make them think we've already left. My main floo port is here in the sitting room. But I have another. I'll show you."

It was her turn to nod, and they set off in a flurry of packing as the skies opened outside, and rain began to fall in earnest.

* * *

Percy's television was not large, but unlike Neville's Gran's, which was the first place they'd tried, it worked - something that was necessary for the night. The next film in order was put in to play as Hermione and Harry (who had remembered, almost as an afterthought, that Percy would be connected to the Floo because he was a ministry worker) caught him up on what was happening. Percy took notes, trying to include every detail to report to the ministry as soon as he found a spare moment. He had been, to say the least, shocked to find a fire call from Harry in so desperate a tone. Worse being, for the reason it was. He accepted them before Harry could even finish his explanation, and within seconds, the little family had landed in Percy's living room - with Percy's help catching Teddy in his carrier, of course.

"In short, we think they're out for one of us - Tonks mentioned things in the tapes, things that we think will help us determine what's going on here."

"But it was definitely the Dark Mark?"

"I do believe Harry's seen one enough times, don't you think?"

"Right. You saw it too?"

"Hermione saw it first."

Percy scribbled on his notepad again, then tucked his pen behind his ear, the pad in his pocket, and pushed his glasses farther up his nose. "Excellent. Now, the tape?"

The rain had continued to pour in the hour since they'd left Harry's house. It didn't look any better for the grim little group in a flat just a short drive from the Burrow.

* * *

_"...they told us when we first conceived, that I was likely to be killed by this baby - werewolves rarely mate. When they do, it's with each other - and even then, the woman dies half of the time. When women in my situaiton conceive, they die. I haven't died yet. There is a why - one that requires careful listening. Harry, you remember the prophecy about yourself. And what that was like. There is a prophecy about this baby - I have only heard whisperings. I'm not supposed to know about it."_

Tonks' hair was mouse brown again as she stared, somber, into the camera. The second tape was nearly over - the first half had described the shock at finding out Tonks was pregnant and that the baby would in fact inherit parts of Lupin's werewolf traits when he came to the right age. Hermione and Harry had been relieved to think that he wouldn't, but this news wasn't even the worst of it. Tonks bit her lip and continued.

_"The only things I've heard are that this baby is going to change things - for better or worse, I'm not entirely sure because of one thing: I don't know if we die. I heard a seer talking to a healer - if my baby is born and we are around, something about the half-breed and Lupin's full ailment will clash - a scent problem, I think they said. A fight for dominance in what they referred to as 'the new regime'. The same applies to me - if I am around, the baby will clash with the fact that I'm not a were. Either way, if we live, something bad is happening to our baby. If we die - all is null and void. He can grow up just as any boy might have to, growing up as a werewolf._

_"They don't know that we know - Lupin tried to breach the subject of our child being a half-breed before, and the doctor looked frightened for a moment before brushing him off. This is something serious. There's something else, as well - if the baby is raised by those who love him, who will nurture and care for him, he will be fine. But there's something about a traumatic experience - maybe the war? Losing his parents? Something. If that happens, he goes back to the volatile state he would have been in if we were alive. Even as a baby, he'll start transforming uncontrollably. Thats very dangerous, he could hurt himself._

_"I don't know what else to tell you on the subject of Teddy. Things are very dangerous as they are, he kicks and moves stronger than other babies. I can see my stomach jiggle when he pushes it - that's strange. There's another thing - Harry, it's about your parents, and the war."_

Harry froze at this. What did his parents have to do with the final battle? What involvement could they have? They were dead.

_"The prophecy, I'm sure you remember, was made long before your death. And could have pertained to either yourself or Neville Longbottom. But the reasons leading Voldemort to believe it was you weren't stemmed from Voldemort himself - but from your parents. When the prophecy was made, your parents met with Alice and Frank Longbottom. At the time, it was highly unlikely that either of you would become squibs, coming from such a magical family. But then you were both born at the end of July, as the prophecy stated, and each set of parents had to make a choice._

_"No parent wants to choose for their child to be the one who might die. To be the one who must fight the Dark Lord and win - for the safety of the good people of our world. It was not easy. They put it off - until after the both of you were born. They would decide then. But something curious happened - you showed traces of magic at a very young age."_

Harry heard a movement then and Tonks looked up. She muttered something to Lupin, holding the camera, and then nodded. Only then did Harry realize just how tightly Hermione was gripping his hand, or just how close she'd come to sit next to him. If it weren't under the current circumstances, he would have been thrilled. Lupin now filled the screen, looking worn and haggard as he had in his final year. Now Harry knew why - the truth about his own son was torturous. He hadn't wanted to endanger Tonks, and he'd done worse - he'd only not killed her by some freak chance, by a prophecy.

_"This is where I should take over, Harry. I don't want to, but I was personally present for the rest of this. There was something that happened - or rather didn't happen - with Neville. He showed no traces of magic. Even after a year into his infancy, there was nothing. It was a shock to both Alice and Frank, who both came from pureblood families. Their families were informed and then cut them off - no protection, no familial anything. They were alone. Your parents and Neville's met and discussed things. What if the prophecy related to Neville only? If he was a squib, there was nearly no chance of him defeating the Dark Lord. So they chose it to mean you - and they were right. It was October thirty-first that they met, that afternoon. Harry, I'm sure the date rings a bell for you. It was the night your parents were killed._

_"They had been making preparations all day - defensive spells, packing for an immediate relocation. But they weren't fast enough. The things you've heard about the Prophecy, Harry, about the night your parents died - most of them are a lie. Your mother did die trying to save you, yes - but don't think for a second that the reason you weren't killed too wasn't a carefully thought out, planned protection charm. Your mother cast it the day you were born, fearful that Death Eaters or Voldemort himself would try to kill you on the spot. She was smart - but it cost her part of her own soul. Part of her soul lives inside you, just as Voldemorts did, but that's the strange thing about magic, Harry - though they are the same concept, they are entirely different in behavior."_

The news settled on Harry. His mother had known she was going to die. She'd cast the spell knowing that she'd have to sacrifice a small part of her soul, part that would keep Harry alive and repel Voldemort's killing curse like two magnets. She hadn't counted on Voldemort imbibing Harry with part of his own soul. But she had planned her own death, essentially, from the beginning. Who had known about this? That she had known she would die, had planned it even, because she knew of what Harry would become?

_"Half of the Order knew, by that point - but by the time we tried to stop her, to promise you all protection in our own homes, it was too late. Lily and James were dead, and you were alone and scarred. It was a terrible loss to all of us. Voldemort of course was nowhere to be found - you know all that already. But a few Death Eaters went after Neville and his parents shortly after - they thought you had perished. They wanted to make sure that Neville was taken care of as well. Little did they know, Frank and Alice had made a deal with a few of us. They wanted us to protect Neville. They made me their secret-keeper, and he was held with his Grandmother for the time being. That's when they tortured his parents. It was only by careful planning that the both of you escaped - and once the Death Eaters were made aware of both of your disappearances and of Voldemort's - they laid low._

_"Harry, most of the things you have been told about your parents and the first war, and even of your own war, are a lie. The rest of it is smaller, but almost just as important. We'll cover that later."_ He moved again and Tonks resumed her place on the screen.

_"If you're watching this, we're dead - our baby is halfway safe and you've been given care of him. I knew my mother wouldn't make it long after the war. We left you in his care because we didn't know of two more competent people to care for our child - because if he comes into the wrong hands, the wizarding world is going to have a new problem to deal with."_

With that, the tape ended, leaving the screen fuzzy and blank. Harry stared at it for a moment more while Hermione repeated the information, trying to make sense of it. It was simple, really - they'd all lied to him. It wasn't as simple as Voldemort marking him his equal - there was still the possibility that it could have been Neville. Would Neville want to know these things, even now? Or was it better kept silent? He realized shortly that Hermione was calling his name.

"Harry! We've got to figure this out."

"There's nothing to figure out - it's a different truth, but it must be true. They'd have no reason to lie about this. They knew they were going to die - in fact, I'm starting to believe they planned it. Whatever the prophecy is about - relating to Teddy - we have to find out. I'm almost sure that's why they're after us. It's not about me and my threat anymore - it's about Teddy."

"He can't even talk! What's he supposed to be for them?"

"It's like they said, Hermione - if raised by the wrong people, he will... he could become a very powerful dark wizard. We have to keep him safe. Even if that means shutting ourselves off for a while. Hiding. Perce, report all of this immediately. Bring that tape if you must. We'll go with you, we have to find a place to hide. The ministry I'm sure has many safe houses..."

"More than you can imagine. Let's hurry."

* * *

Perhaps, though, the ministry hadn't been such a good idea. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. They were handed a slip of paper with the location of a safe house. It was in a secluded wood in the mountains, the only people around them were an older wizarding couple who used to work for the ministry before their retirement. The paper dissolved as soon as Harry read the contents and the location clicked in his head. They'd then waited outside an office door while Percy filed the report - he would have to do a little paperwork, give an oral account, and then he would become their secret keeper. Percy, of all people, their secret keeper. He was safe enough, surely, and had been to the house before and could help them apparate, but the thought almost made Harry smile. As the though moved to his lips, however, a flash of green passed just in front of his face. He knew that spell anywhere. He could see Hermione just down the hall, her mouth setting into an O. It had very nearly struck her, as well.

Harry grabbed Teddy's carrier and the bag at his feet. He sprinted down the distance between himself and Hermione, grabbed her hand, and pulled her into the door Percy had gone into. He saw Hermione scream but did not hear her, did not hear the panic that rose around him, couldn't feel himself moving at all. The door shut behind them and he grabbed Percy.

"Someone just tried to attack us outside - a flash of green. We have to get out of here, now."

Percy nodded flicked his wand at a stack of paper work, and grinned. "One good thing about being a ministry loving brat is knowing the proper spells to cheat my paperwork. Grab my hand."

The little chain of people apparated to a small cabin in the woods. Percy wished them luck, but had to return to the ministry immediately to help out - whoever it was, was dangerous. As soon as he was gone, Harry set down the carrier and turned to Hermione, who had a look in her eyes that he couldn't quite place. She turned around in a complete circle, let out a huff, and marched up to him. Harry was not prepared for what happened next. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth, burying her hands in his hair and standing on her toes to reach him better. Perhaps it was adrenaline, but there was a nagging part of Harry's mind that reminded him that this had been coming on for a while. A fireplace burned behind him, illuminating her face but casting his own in shadow. He closed his eyes and kissed her back. When after a moment she pulled away suddenly, he was confused. He'd liked that.

"I couldn't... I almost lost you, again! Do you know what that's like? To almost lose you?"

"I've almost lost you too, Hermione. Fourth year, fifth, last year... I know. It's been... terrifying."

"I thought we were safe, and then this comes up again, and we were almost safe again... then this. I had to. I'm sorry."

She turned to leave, but he reached out and grabbed her shoulder. "Wait, don't... don't apologize for that."

She only stared and cleared her throat, as if telling him to go on.

"I... I'm glad you did, alright? I've been feeling things for you since much before Ron left. Since before we got Teddy. I can't say when it started, only that I've been keeping it quiet for so long because I thought you weren't over Ron yet."

"Well of course I'm not. Does this put me in a situation? Yes."

"Should Ron be here? Yes. But he's not. I AM. I'm here for Teddy, and most of all for you. When I saw the Dark Mark, I didn't fear for him until long after the dread has passed at the possibility of losing you. He's my Godson, yes, but you, Hermione. You're... I don't think there's a word for what you are to me. I don't think there's a word that powerful."

She only nodded. He could swear he saw a tear or two fall before she turned and fled, nodding. Teddy had started crying, startled at Harry's raise of volume. He picked up the infant and calmed him down. For the time being, everything was okay. Perhaps slightly better.


	8. Chapter 8

Harry, your father came to me that September. He told us only vague details of what was to happen, that a prophecy had been made. He wouldn't tell me what it foretold - only that it's very existence could bring the Dark Lord to power once more. Tonks was just a child - seven years old at the time. I was alone, entirely alone, and fearful for my best friend, his wife, and for you, Harry. Your parents refused to tell me their entire scheme - only that their secret-keeper was Sirius, who knew the contents as well. Sirius, however, had been acting rather strangely around Peter Pettigrew - for good reasons, I'm sure you now know - and when I tried to contact him, he was all but vanished already.

However, as with the protection charm, your mother had different ideas of how to handle this than your father did. While your mother knew very clearly that she and James would die - your father would not admit it. He insisted that they stay and fight. Your mother only pretended to go along with his plan - and it's a brilliant thing that she did. If she'd have tried to take you and hide, who knows what they could have done - tortured your father, gotten their whereabouts out of him before your mother could know what hit her. She reinforced the protective spell the second Voldemort broke through your door. In that moment, that part of her soul became part of you. That's precisely the reason for your eyes... your mother was so self-sacrificing that in giving up part of her soul, she also basically gave you her eyes on accident - something that would later cause Severus to protect you further.

Speaking of Sev - he came to me, just months before you were born. He told me that things were going to be changing. He knew of the prophecy, I believe more than he let on... he had to keep refraining from saying something. He told me that he was going undercover, as a Death Eater. Knowing Sev, being an actual Death Eater was probably high on his list - but he'd spoken with Dumbledore. I didn't question him after that.

Harry, the point is this - there are too many similarities between your infancy and my soon-to-be childs, but there are differences. When you were an infant, we all did everything we could to protect you. When my child is born, I have the utmost faith that you will do the same. Harry, we will not live past the war. The possibility of my child becoming a great Dark wizard because of his interaction with me... I can't fathom it. If we do not die fighting, we will die afterwards. It is planned. I'm sorry you have to find out this way Harry, but there were no other options. Very few people know about this - the Tonks', myself, and Kingsley - until after the war. Then you will know, and in time I hope my son will know.

Remember this, Harry - while your mother and father were willing to die to protect you, Tonks and I are willing to die in order to protect both our son and the entire wizarding world. If he were to ever turn dark... he could destroy everything. You must keep him safe, he cannot get into the wrong hands. This is the last tape, and I'm nearing my end. Don't forget about the location on the paper. Go there when you can. I don't know how to summarize - Tonks wouldn't either - but know this, Harry. I have complete faith in you, and you are the only person I would leave in charge of my son, especially in such dire circumstances. Hermione, I know that with your wit, you can find the true secrets that lie in the prophecy, and what the both of you must do to protect the world. We chose the both of you together after careful deliberation - don't let us down. The world literally depends on it.

Harry saw a slight smirk on the face of his old professor, his father's old friend. It disappeared almost as quickly, but it was the closest thing to a smile Harry had seen on Lupin's face in his final year. Tonks came back on screen with Lupin now, her face somber, her hair mousy brown.

These are the things you'll have to remember: that you can do anything, and that our son is capable of anything. These can go both negatively and positively, but with the power of light between the two of you, we have hope for the world after we are gone.

The screen went black. Hermione, beside him, was already in tears. This last tape had opened up so many doors, had answered so many questions. Remus and Dora had willingly let themselves be killed towards the end of the final battle. Sirius knew the entire prophecy - but had been killed, along with the others who knew the full story. The power now lay with Harry and Hermione. Teddy could either be nurtured and raised to become a powerful force for good, or something could happen - he could destroy everything.

Hermione didn't move, but spoke. "I don't know what they saw in me. I'm just... book smart. I can't protect anyone!"

Harry slid the distance between them, wrapping his arm around her. "You know that's not true. You protected us in the forest for months. You know the most powerful protective charms and spells of anyone either of us know. Hermione, you're probably going to be more useful at this than I am. All I can do is duel, and I don't see us doing much of that in the next few weeks. I still can't change a diaper correctly...

Hermione slipped her arms around his middle, and Teddy began to wake in the next room. "I think that's why they chose us together, then. For some reason, Harry, we've always been the best team. Always." She pressed her lips to his forehead as she stood, wrapped in a blanket, and traipsed into Teddy's room. Harry watched her go, caught between the happiness of Hermione's small show of affection, and the ultimate dread of what he'd just learned on three muggle tapes. Harry took one last look at the paper before startling himself. The location on the paper was the very house he was seated in now. How could that be? There was no one here...

But as if on cue, there was a knock on the door.

"I know who is taking shelter inside this house, I know their purpose. I am a secret keeper and a guardian, appointed by Kingsley Shacklebolt to watch over you and... well, essentially to get your groceries and things. Your animagus is a stag, your partners is an otter, and the youngest you keep with you is half-something."

Harry nervously peered through the peephole, where a tall, thin man with grey hair in his sixties was still prattling on facts about himself and Hermione. Harry opened the door.

"You're going to announce to the world that I'm inside... come in, quickly. I've been told by Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin that I should come here, I don't know if it was by chance that the ministry put us here or..."

"Potter, it was not by chance. Kingsley has known of the plans of the Lupin's for as long as they have - he helped plan this. I assure you that they only mentioned it in the tapes in case you didn't go looking for a safe house..."

"You know about the tapes?"

"I know everything, boy. And my wife and I have been waiting since the day after the final battle for your arrival. I trust Miss Granger and the baby are with you?"

"They're in the other room, I..."

"Harry?" Hermione stood in the doorway, looking more confused by the moment. "Who is this?"

The man cleared his throat. "I am William, and my wife is Endira, we are the Burton's - your secret keepers, protectors, and hidden members of the original Order of the Phoenix. Welcome to your safe house - but you aren't safe yet. Far from it."

The older couple bustled around the tiny kitchen, serving up dinner for their little party and talking all the while about what they knew about the Prophecy, about Harry and Hermione, and about Teddy. Not surprisingly to Harry, they knew everything. Kingsley would be nothing if not thorough in his schemes. When they finally sat for dinner, there was little time for chat.

"Harry, we must discuss what is going to happen over the next few weeks. It will not happen slowly - despite secret-keepers, the remaining Death Eaters will find out where you are, and they will try to kill you and Hermione to take Teddy. He can be used as a very powerful weapon for Dark wizards everywhere. He can become as powerful as the Dark Lord. We cannot let this happen, I'm sure you know. And there's one more thing..."

The rain had not stopped since that morning, and it was now nearing twenty-four hours that the pair had been awake. Teddy, after the rush of the day, had fallen right to sleep as soon as they'd returned back from the house of the Burtons. Hermione hadn't let go of Harry's arm since they'd left for dinner, latched onto him for security, for comfort, for...

"You know this doesn't change anything."

"Excuse me?"

"Harry, I'm saying that just because we could die any moment, doesn't change anything."

"Well, it sure changed things yesterday..."

She had nothing to say to this.

"Honestly, Hermione... I think it should. I know you say you're not over Ron yet, but it's been over a year, Hermione. Nearly one and a half. I... you know what I feel for you. I've just told you yesterday. But I won't hold onto it if you're just going to make me wait forever. I can't do that. I... you know I care for you Hermione, you know I love you."

"And I... I want to love you. But thinking about Ron all this time..."

"Has been bad. I know. But Hermione, I don't see him coming back any time soon. He left. I'm here, with you, and... we're going through this. I don't know what else could be enough."

It was when Hermione nodded, tears rolling slowly down her face, that his heart leapt.

"Harry... you have to promise me we'll take it easy. My feelings for you have been coming on for a few months now, but they're very nearly painful. I... you know I love you, in one way at least."

He bent down to press his lips to hers just once, then pulled her closer into him. If it hadn't been for the knock at the door, they might have laid like that all night. Harry's first instinct was that a Burton was back, but the voice on the other side of the door did not belong to either of them.

"Harry? 'Mione? Open up! I need to talk to you."

Harry saw the flash of red hair through the window. He knew that voice, though it had changed slightly. The shoulders were slightly broader, he could see despite the rain covering the glass. For someone who used to be his best friend, Harry could not have been more unhappy if Voldemort himself had risen from the dead and come knocking.

"It's me! Let me in, it's raining something mad out here..."

Hermione suddenly tensed beside him. Harry had had the idea that she would not release her grip on his arm all night, but before he could say a word, she'd flung the door open to reveal one very different Ron Weasley.


	9. Chapter 9

Losing touch with reality was not a common occurrence for Hermione. Sure, there had been times she'd thought herself nearly delusional, or perhaps just confused. But nothing, in her entire life, had shocked the sense out of her quite like the sight of Ron, soaking wet and panting for breath, standing in the doorway of their safe house.

"Are you going to let me in or what?"

It took her nearly a full minute to speak - but even Ron, at that point, knew it was best to wait for her to. Her curls were rising and falling over the heavy breath in her chest. She looked absolutely livid, and yet there was a softness in her eyes there that nobody in the room could miss. "Ronald, I have half a mind to shut this door on you and never speak to you again - and hex you before I do it."

"It's raining something big outside... don't you want to know where I've been?"

"You think I haven't imagined that you're living in every city in Britain? Or Scotland? You think I haven't been sick with worry and wonder?" Hermione's voice quavered, nearly bursting into tears. He was here, he was... she felt Harry step in beside her, putting a hand on her waist. When she felt weak, his arm around her kept her strong. But why was she feeling so weak over the sight of Ron in the first place?

"You don't deserve to enter this house, Ron. You don't deserve to be speaking to either of us right now - least of all, Hermione." There was no softness in Harry's eyes - something cold had formed there, something Ron had never before seen so strongly in Harry. He was eyeballing Ron like he would to Voldemort himself.

"I know. I'm a right prat. Go ahead then, hex me. Kill me. Do what you're going to do."

He stepped away from the door frame, threw his arms out wide. _Come at me. Do your best._ Harry let out a breath behind her.

"'Mione?"

"I don't... I can't..."

"Go into the other room. There are things I need to discuss with our guest."

Hermione only nodded, accepting a small squeeze of a hug from Harry before taking Teddy and turning the corner into the other room. Ron started to try and go after her, but Harry pulled him inside, shut the door behind him, and pushed him against it. Ron's eyes went wide - Harry saw fear there.

"What are you here for?"

"I came to find you... I'm back."

"How did you find us?"

"Percy. He was granted privilege to the paperwork, I got it out of him."

"How? He's supposed to be keeping our cover completely safe."

"I don't get what the big deal is..."

"Ron!"

"Alright! I used Veritaserum. I had some left when I got to the burrow, he was there and mentioned that the both of you were safe. I didn't know what from and he wouldn't tell me. I slipped him some."

Harry drew back his fist, hitting the door just beside Ron's head. Ron ducked, scurrying across the room to the couch. Hermione was attempting not to listen, but of course she was less than ten feet away...

"Ron I need you to leave. Your being here is too unsafe. How much did Percy tell you?"

"Everything. I told him to tell me everything. About the both of you, where you where, why you had Teddy Lupin, all of it."

"So you knew how incredibly dangerous it was for you to come here, to risk our position, and you came anyway?"

"I made sure I wasn't tracked - there's no way anyone could have followed me. I know."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Do you want to know what exactly I've been doing the past year and a half?"

The question caught Harry off guard. Obviously, the two questions were related - and how, Harry would have to find out. He nodded.

"I've been working for the ministry. Apparently, it's really easy for them to change my features, so they've been using me for surveillance, against the last of the suspicious Death Eaters. I've made a lot of money, Harry. And at first, I intended on coming back home to Hermione, so that I could really fully take care of her. But after six, seven months... I knew she'd moved on. I stayed longer, I got promoted - I'm working out of a muggle town about two hours from the burrow by car, I've been tailing a known Death Eater for four months, acting as a nosey muggle neighbor. We just put away Mulciber and Goyle."

"But if you're out putting away Death Eaters, then who's trying to get Teddy?"

"The last few of them. Greyback could help them understand Teddy's being a hybrid... Selwyn is still out there. Dolohov. Avery. Nott. Yaxley. Lestrange."

"So there's still a definite group? I'm assuming Percy told you about the Dark Mark."

"He did. There is. That's who's after you, I'm nearly completely sure about it."

Harry paced, still not able to comprehend Ron's appearance. "Ron, I need you to leave."

"Let me see Hermione."

"No, Ron, I'll- "

"Harry?" Hermione was peering out from behind the corner, looking at neither of them. She spoke so softly, he almost hadn't heard her. "I need to speak with Ron. He... I know you know the circumstances."

As much as Harry wanted to resist it, to kick Ron back into the storm, he couldn't - if Hermione wanted to speak with Ron, that was her right. But wouldn't this change things? They had just started talking about feelings, and things definitely could have progressed if Ron hadn't shown up and literally rained on his parade.

"Okay. Be quick. I'll be... in the other room. With Teddy." He wasn't happy about it - that also was not missed on anyone in the room. He very nearly stomped into the nursery, and spent his time pacing the length of it. He heard quips of exactly what he expected - Hermione demanding an explanation, Ron giving one - a better one than she expected. He told her everything - even admitted to using the Veritaserum on Percy. She said nothing for a few moments, in the time that Harry was still pacing... he only heard his own footsteps. Teddy whined a bit in the crib until Harry finally picked him up and sat down, the now silence from the nursery making it that much more painfully obvious to Harry what the rest of their conversation was about.

"I love you, Hermione. I still do. I always will. But I need to know where you stand - or who you stand with."

There was a moment of silence - there could have been a look, a gesture. Hermione stumbled over her next few words, her pitch rising - her obvious giveaway.

"I... Ron, there's nothing. I mean. There is, a little something, but never like there was with you, I think. Or perhaps this one is more than you. I don't know, Ron, I don't know what to say. I'm damned if I tell you, damned if I don't."

"You'll be more damned if you don't - at least I could be upset now and get over it. But if you wait, and I have to find out otherwise? You know how you'll feel, yourself. Can you imagine what that might be like for me?"

He heard the swish of Hermione's hair on her coat - she must have been nodding.

"Oh, Ron. Of course I want to tell you everything, but even _I_ haven't figured out everything. I was just in the middle of it this morning, actually, before you knocked."

"So it's Harry, then?"

Harry took some small comfort in the fact that at least Ron wasn't totally oblivious of Harry's strong protection of Hermione. There were feelings there. But how much would Hermione let on to Ron?

"Well, yes and no. I've spent the last year and a half moping about over you, Ron. And that didn't help me move on in my life at all, I was stuck. Harry has been the only good in my life, the only constant love I've gotten. I'm sure you remember I never found my parents. I lost most of our friends with a little drinking and a little bit of me just being overbearing. But Harry has never once left me - not since we were school children. Not even when his own life was falling apart because of your paranoid, psychotic sister. Not ever. You, I'm sure you also remember, have left twice."

"I'm sorry Hermione, but I..."

"No, Ron. You listen. You asked, you will hear. Yes, I have feelings for Harry. Strong ones. I do not love him like I loved you, I do not know if I'd ever marry him like I always thought I'd do with you. But I will tell you one thing - him leaving? Would hurt a thousand times worse than you ever disappearing, either time. When you left, I hurt. If Harry left, I would _die_. "

Ron said nothing - Harry didn't know how to feel, either. So she'd admitted that her feelings for Harry weren't as strong as hers had been for Ron. But she admitted that she hated the of losing Harry more than actually losing Ron. So what, then, was she trying to say? And what would she do?

"I think, Ron, that you need to stay here. Not long. But stay here. If you leave now, you'll possibly be tracked - no matter how careful you think you were. I'd love to send you away, but this is also punishment for you. You now get to stay in this house, with me and Harry and his Godson, who we care for. You will have to see just what you've caused, by leaving. Do you understand? Four days. And then you leave. Perhaps for good, if you can't give me a few good reasons why I shouldn't just ignore the fact that you ever came back at all."

Neither man wanted to hear what she'd just said. Their first instincts were that she'd gone absolutely mad, but even then, just moments later they realized it was their only choice. Ron leaving now _was_ too risky. And if he stayed, maybe Hermione could work a little more on making up her mind about which of them she would choose.

What happened if she chose Harry? Obviously, there were feelings there. She'd kissed him because she was so afraid of losing him. She'd faced her fears and began helping him raise Teddy. He'd been right there with her through her loss of Ron and her parents, and she'd been right there with him when Ginny went crazy and when he was left guardianship of Teddy. They'd developed something that neither of them could quite describe, a slow moving, warming love that surpassed the love they felt as just friends. This was something more, possibly much more. And they would have to put that all on the line, every day, for the safety of Teddy.

But what if she chose Ron? She loved him - always had. And he still loved her, and had a good excuse for being gone so long - though not so much for disappearing in the first place. How would Harry and Hermione continue to care for Teddy together? What would become of the safe house, of their plans to stay safe?

Either way - this would change everything. Harry watched Hermione walk past the nursery, into their bedroom. The door shut and he immediately heard her sob. It very nearly broke his heart to hear that, and to realize that where his heart had leaped before, under those circumstances - those circumstances were gone. There went his chance.


	10. Chapter 10

Hermione was getting tired of the tension - it wasn't that it could be cut with a knife, or that it was thick in every room - it was that it clouded their vision, distracted each of them. Even Teddy seemed to be strangely affected by this red-haired newcomer, and yet nobody would say the words that would change it all. Mostly, perhaps, because nobody knew exactly what to say. The worry over the wards had been enough - when, a night after Ron's arrival, they'd alerted the Burton's and the trio plus Teddy to the fact that there had been a small group gathered just inside the edge of the small forest to the North. It had been three men, they'd stayed for nearly three hours, watching the area where the house should have been. They returned every night for just over a week. The protective enchantments would disappear as soon as someone tried to apparate out - meaning Ron couldn't just leave, no matter how much she'd have liked that. He couldn't walk out - that would give them away even faster. The last eleven days had been totally embarrassing - Hermione's affections were obvious to anyone in the house.

Hermione's involvement with Harry was obvious - the way he'd settle his hand on her waist, the fact that they shared a bedroom - but Ron's unrequited love was apparent, too. In all honesty, she'd have loved to kick Ron straight out the door, seconds after he'd stepped in. He'd had his reasons - which were just swell, really - but hadn't really made any suggestions on the future. It was in that realization that Hermione realized her choice had been made all along. Harry had never left her, had never disrespected her. They'd shared nights hiding out looking for Horcruxes that Ron chose to not be a part of. They'd been friends - best friends - since the troll incident in their first year at Hogwarts. He would never have abandoned her like Ron did. She stepped out of the hallway, peeking her head around the corner. Harry sat in his now usual place at the table - flicking his spoon around in his tea. He looked tortured, or worse, and Hermione couldn't keep making him feel this way. She knew that she would choose him. She knew that Ron had said too little too late. And he'd have to deal with that.

She sat beside him, where she always did. It had been eleven days of near silence, and it was time to end it all. They were joined shortly by Ron, carrying Teddy, who was sleeping silently, crooked into his arm. Her nerves were like ice - she was hyper-aware of every moment she made, of every thought that passed through her mind. She was making the right decision, and enough time had passed that the wards had gone down about someone watching them. The group hadn't appeared in the forest for three days, and they were not there now. She dropped her spoon into her tea, took a look at the men around her, and cleared her throat.

"Ron, now that you've returned - and Harry's been here the whole time - I feel like we have to have a serious discussion on relationships."

Both boys flipped their heads up to look at her. Had they heard right? She attempted a weak smile, but settled on looking at both of them in turn.

"I've been thinking - perhaps too much. But I've needed to look at the past. Ron, your... transgressions, I guess, have been unsettling. You left us on the hunt for Horcruxes. You left me over a year ago. You can't have expected me to just run back into your arms after all this time - you're not an idiot, no matter how much you may have done things to make it seem so. You've already seen that... that there's something between Harry and I. Something that I had him promise we'd take slow, because I still wasn't sure that I was over you.

"You came back, Ron, and scared me nearly half to death. You've gotten taller, you look less like a boy and more like a man. I was hoping that through this maturity you can make the right decision. You can leave, and not try and find us again until it's safe for us to come back. I can't... you risked our safety enough by coming here. And you proved to me that no matter how many times you can apologize, it can never forgive your actions, not this badly."

She turned away from them both, on the edge of tears. This wasn't just ending the possibility of a relationship with Ron - it would probably end the friendship, as well. When she turned back to look, Ron was standing, Teddy had been transferred to Harry's arms instead. Ron was crying, though not loudly. This had obviously not been the outcome he'd expected.

"Hermione, I... I can't say I like it. I can't even say I understand."

"I have to ask you to do it anyway, Ron. You're risking our safety and you already broke my heart, you can't have expected a different outcome."

"You've always been the smarter one. Maybe one day I'll understand. Maybe not. Remember me."

"Always." Hermione's voice quavered slightly. Really letting go of Ron wasn't on the agenda. But she'd had to.

As Ron left to pack his backpack, Hermione left soon after to seek the solitude of her bedroom. Harry was left alone at the table again, having not said a word during the entire conversation. He didn't even have to try and fight for her - though he would have. She'd chosen him. Maybe the chosen one thing had it's perks, here.

* * *

"Harry?"

She'd finally come back out of the bedroom. Teddy had been fussy all day, and it was now mid-afternoon. Hermione seemed to be the only one that could calm him down when he got this cranky, so his excitement at seeing Hermione for the first time since she'd really, officially chosen him over Ron was about equal to his relief that the comfort-giving brunette had finally emerged. Her eyes were red and swollen, though not so much so that it seemed she'd been crying all day. Just for a while, probably earlier. He smiled at her.

When she smiled back, crossing the room to take Teddy from his arms, Harry felt the weight of the world come off his shoulders. He had his godson. He had Hermione. And they were safe, for the time being. Not a truckload of sweets could have made him any happier.


	11. Chapter 11

Teddy was in poor spirits. Despite the strange appearance of the red-haired stranger, he seemed a little put out when Ron had left. Hermione cradled the baby in her arms, set him down in his crib, and looked down at him. He smiled when he looked at her, grasping his fingers like fists. He wanted her to pick him back up, but it was time for a nap. She snuck out of the room and joined Harry in the sitting room, the light from the television illuminating his face.

"Harry."

"Hmm?"

"We need to make some long term plans. We can't hide out here forever."

"I know. We need to find a way to live without living here."

"We have family and friends to get back to."

"And jobs."

"Precisely. We need to find a place to hide. That no one knows about."

"And we'd need one secret keeper, obviously not one of the Weasley family, seeing how that went this time..."

"Right. I was thinking that we'd have to use someone rather odd. That way the last of the Death Eaters won't know who to look for." She picked his discarded paper up off the table, reading the headlines. "Three more dead in London, likely Death Eater activity. They're getting more daring."

"And stronger. Look here, I read it earlier - where their numbers dwindled before, they are now slowly rising - those who defected in the war are turning back, or those who are afraid of a new rise of dark power are joining before they are hunted down."

She sighed. "And meanwhile, we're hiding out in the middle of nowhere, unaware if our friends are safe at all. It's actually... it's funny, this is the first time I have been able to say that I'm glad my parents are safer... where they are now." She glanced upwards, as if to prove her point. "No one can hurt them where they are now."

"Mine as well. And Teddy's... except, of course, the three of us are all under attack by this new regime and hopefully, not getting killed. It would be worth a laugh if they finally killed me after the fact."

"Harry, don't talk like that! None of us are dying, and we're not letting them get to Teddy. What could we do?"

"There have to be places in London to do this. Places we can hide in plain site, d'you know what I mean?"

"Yes. So that we can be close if we're needed, and get help if we need it."

"I'll owl Kingsley. Hermione, you think of places you know."

There was Grimmauld place, but with Yaxley still at large, he knew the location. He'd held on that fateful day when she'd apparated onto the top step and lost her footing. They could hide out at The Burrow and put up all of the protective charms - but who knew when Ron would be there, or who could pass in and out through the floo. Hermione had sold her home in the suburbs. Harry's flat wouldn't do, likely they all knew where it was anyway. There was one last place Hermione could think of, and even then she wasn't terribly sure.

"Harry, have you sent that letter off yet?"

"I was just sending it!"

"Hold off a minute. I was thinking of places we could go - and there are too many risks associated with each of them. I did, however, think of one place the Death Eaters know nothing about. We're not directly in London, but we'd already have a secret keeper. We already said No Weasleys, but..."

"Bill and Fleurs place. I just thought of it as you said it. I don't want to intrude on them though..."

"The last I heard, Bill was supposed to be leaving for Egypt - they needed his help on a curse, he was taking Fleur with him. If we can get a hold of him..."

"We can use the house while he's gone. It's a start."

"It's a good temporary residence. Kingsley can help us decide more when we meet with him."

"And how on earth are we supposed to just walk the streets and talk to Kinglsey?"

"Are you forgetting that the ministry is no longer under dark control?"

"Right. Just, with what happened last time..."

"Precisely. But matters of security have been increased - or have you only read the paper this morning? It came out a week ago - improved security, charms to keep out anyone with a dark mark, essentially. So much more. " She grinned, and however smug it was, Harry was happy for it. It was the first time she'd really smiled since their morning on the couch, before Ron left. They hadn't spoke of it since, and Ron's arrival had obviously put a damper on things, but she would still do little things - touch his arm, stand closely behind him while he cooked or whatever it was. He could feel that she was still in this, even if she wasn't directly into it right now. And understandably - the bastard who ran out on her had shown up and had the gall to expect them all to be buddies again. What had he been thinking? And then...

"Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"You weren't really paying attention."

"Sorry, I was just... thinking of something."

She narrowed her eyes, but didn't ask any questions, and he was glad for it. "Right. Well, let's rewrite this letter to Kingsley... we'll gather our things and leave as soon as he lets us know its okay."

"Of course. I'll start packing." He rose from his chair and began shrinking things down in the room, leaving only what was in the house before they got there. It wasn't much, after all, they'd left in such a hurry last time as well that there was no time to pack everything they wanted or needed to take with them.

"We'll have to shop for some things once we get there. I'll use a few charms, we can change our appearances a little and get what we need."

"I was thinking the same thing, 'Mione. We didn't bring much with us..."

"Except for Teddy's things. We brought nearly everything he had."

"He's our..." _son._ But he wasn't, really, so why had Harry been so quick to want to say that? "Responsibility. And the child of our... dear friends."

"Are you alright?"

"No."

"I figured." She shook her head. "At least you're honest."

"I try to be. Most of the time." He winked, tossing the paper in the trash and continuing to move around the house, packing things up. Hermione watched him for a moment, deft hands working two at a time to put things into bags and organize them so they wouldn't break. She joined him slightly after, and within minutes they were packed. They packed the baby's room last, trying not to wake him through his short nap, and watched the telly until they got a reply from Kingsley.

_Move is okay, for now. We'll move you somewhere closer when space is available - may take one or two weeks. Be careful to travel in disguises. Death Eater at the ministry was apprehended and taken in. It was Yaxley. Full update when you get to Shell Cottage, please sent me notice when you arrive. - K. Shacklebolt  
_

It was quick and to the point, and it was all they needed. Hermione grabbed Teddy, Harry grabbed their bags, and they made the short walk to the Burton's. Once let in, Hermione explained the move.

"We need to be closer to everything that's going on. I'm sure you'll have new neighbors in no time..."

"It's no trouble to us, dear. We've been without neighbors for months at a time. We're content out here, just us. He slid an arm around his wife's waist and she smiled at him. "We're all each other needs."

Harry could feel color rising to his cheeks, and so cleared his throat. "Well, yes, we'd better get going." With a last farewell, the tiny family stepped in on one end of the floo, and halfway tumbled out on the other end - the very clean, very cool sitting room of Shell Cottage. Harry sat immediately to send an owl to Bill and Fleur, making sure they knew that they'd be gone in a week or so. He got an owl back just a few hours later telling him that he and Hermione and Teddy could stay as long as they wanted - and that Fleur was pregnant.

"Oh, Fleur's pregnant! How fantastic, that's beautiful really. I wonder what color hair their children will have..." Hermione, who had lit up as soon as she read through the letter, was now gushing about how their child might look, and it was very easy for Harry to imagine she was talking about themselves. His face went slack, save for a small smile that played on his lips. Teddy slept on. Hermione, done gushing, turned to harry. "What do you think?"

"They'll be beautiful." He was instantly reminded of Teddy's morphed appearance at the park. The short, thick chestnut hair and his own bright green eyes. Pale skin, wide smile. Perhaps it wasn't so far fetched after all.


	12. Chapter 12

"Yaxley could have told someone though." Hermione looked worried, as was usual lately.

"Not if he'd fallen off the top step when we apparated away. It's likely, Hermione..."

"But I just don't know if it's safe. Right here, right now, we're safe. We can stay here as long as we need, until the ministry sets us up somewhere new."

"Hermione?" He looked up at her, brewing another small pot of coffee. He could see this every morning for the rest of his life, perhaps...

"Hmm?"

"What if we're... what if the Death Eaters don't all get captured. What if we're stuck hiding, and... there will always be dark wizards."

"But there might not always be dark wizards who know the prophecy or who it pertains to."

"I guess you're right." He sipped his coffee and set it down again, lazily stirring it around with his spoon. They'd been at Shell Cottage three days now, and they were quickly learning that while the isolation was nice, it was also unbelievably boring. They were allowed to send an owl a day now, as Bill and Fleur might do if they were home, and so the pair got to send letters to whoever they wished to let them know they were safe and that things were going as planned. After this third day, however, their list had ended - neither had family left to speak of, neither were speaking to many of the Weasleys, and neither had any intention of sending a letter off to Rita Skeeter or anyone else who might ask any questions - neither of them had the energy to deal with that. The weather was slightly overcast, but it was warming up - perhaps they could take Teddy to the beach later that day or the next.

"But still. Hermione. What if we could go back? We could stay at Grimmauld Place and raise Teddy there, keep him safe while the ministry and the Order take down the resistance..."

"It's a nice idea, Harry." She stood beside him and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing slightly. "It really is. And I know you want to go back, I do. But right now..."

"We'll talk about it later. It's possible. I know it is." Excusing himself quickly, he rose and left the room, intent on taking a walk and clearing his mind. The possibility of being able to live at Grimmauld Place was a nice idea indeed - but it was also very possible. It just needed a little sprucing up, really, and some of the enchantments - the god awful portrait of Mrs. Black... that would need to be removed. A little paint and dusting wouldn't hurt. There was a small whine from the other bedroom - Teddy had woken up again. He walked into the infant's temporary room and picked him up, cradling him carefully in his arms as Hermione had taught him to do. Teddy whined for a minute more and then opened his eyes, smiling slightly when he saw Harry was the one holding him.

"Morning, Ted... you slept well. Six whole hours! Must be a record, I'll write it down if I have to..." He grabbed a bottle and started to mix the formula, talking to Teddy all the while. "You know, we'll probably be moving again soon. I know you don't like being moved around, you get cranky every time, don't you? But we're doing it for you, kid, remember that. Because we love you..." Harry, busy in monologue, did not notice Hermione tip-toe into the doorway, leaning against the doorframe. She was watching him and as she did, she smiled. Harry was so good with Teddy, and he cared so much for the child. He cared a lot about her, as well, but she wasn't sure she was ready for that, either. She wanted to take it slow, she wanted...

"And Hermione loves you, Teddy. You know that. Do you know how much she freaked out when we find out we'd been chosen to take care of you? I knew immediately, in my heart, that I would raise you as best I could. You're my godson. You're the only remaining family for your father or your mother... I know the feeling. But anyway, Hermione did the same thing, too! I knew I'd take care of you, but I told her if she was scared or if she didn't think she could do it, that I could try to do it alone. But she nodded her pretty little head and told me she was in. It started a whole chain reaction, didn't it? Bloody mess. And Ron showing up... you and me are going to have a talk about Ron, one day. I know you like the ginger git, but he's messed up a few too many times."

She watched Harry hold Teddy as he drank from the bottle, pausing to breath and stare intently at Harry, who surely sounded like he was babbling nonsense to the baby. She smiled - it was something she'd gotten used to, with Harry. It was something she liked. He talked, all the time, about everything. He wasn't an idiot, either. They'd had good talks before, recently too, about anything in the world, growing up Muggle, etc. She never had that with Ron. Harry finally spun towards her, still talking to Teddy - but his mouth froze when he saw her.

"Harry."

"I... hi." He smiled sheepishly,

"Talking to yourself?"

"No, to Teddy."

"I know."

"I think he understands me, Hermione. Really."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Someone finally does - you've had the rest of us mystified for years."

He narrowed his eyes, but she could see him fighting off a smile. Teddy finished the bottle and Harry burped him, set him back in his crib, and lead Hermione out into the hallway.

"He's been sleeping well lately."

"He really has, it's nice."

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"I... I wanted to talk to you. About what we were talking about... before Ron showed up."

Ah, here it was. The topic he'd been anticipating and dreading with all the urgency of Voldemort's return. It was very nearly more delicate than that - this was Hermione's feelings. Volatile, confusing, subtle, feelings.

"I. Okay. Yeah. What about it? I mean, not like that, I just..."

"Harry. It's okay. I just wanted to say... we can't pretend like Ron never showed up entirely. But as far as we're concerned - you and I, and this whole mess - I think we could try."

He'd heard the cheers when he'd defeated Voldemort. He'd heard his every wish answered when Hagrid had broken down a door and told him the truth about who he was. He'd heard marriages, and thanks, and everything under the sun. But nothing could make him as happy as hearing those five words from Hermione. I think we could try. And to him, trying was enough. He crossed the room, setting his hands on her shoulders.

"Thank you." He kissed her on the forehead, just once lightly, and left the room, walking straight out the front door and towards the sea. Hermione followed him to the door, and watching him raise his arms in triumph. She watched him spin around, smiling, yelling obscenities and gratitude towards the sky. And nothing had ever made her happier, than watching his little celebration, dropping over the crest of the hill and walking down into the ocean, arms still held high.

If the days were to be described in terms of color and light, yesterday had been grey and dark, today was blue and bright. The clouds that did remain were few and far between, with no threat for rain or foul weather at all. The sea was sparkling blue and green and beckoned to the little family in the house. They followed the call, dressing appropriately and heading down to the waterline. Harry sat in swim trunks and a tee shirt, Hermione in a bikini top and swim shorts, and Teddy in a new pair of little trunks Hermione had run out to get him that morning. Between keeping Teddy from eating sand and wading into the shallowest bit of water with him, Harry and Hermione had barely spoken. Glances had been exchanged, smiles were plentiful. There was an air of promise about them, an air of hope.

Teddy let out a little grunt and looked at the water, announcing that he wanted to go back. Hermione picked him up, sat only so far that the water would get his legs, and sat him down in front of her, on her lap. Within a minute of splashing and cooing, he looked at Harry, and made another noise announcing his want. Harry joined them, sitting so close to Hermione that she could see the spots where the saltwater had dried on his shoulders, leaving traces of salt on the skin there. He was closer than close enough to touch, she could lean on him any second, with the sun starting its descent behind them. And so she did, tentatively resting a bit of her weight on his shoulder. He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her a little closer still. She kept her arms around Teddy. A wave rose higher than those before, and reached around her lower back, to the spot where Harry's hand brushed against her waist.

Yes, they were being chased by evil wizards. Yes, they were moving constantly. Yes, her ridiculously insane ex had shown up and and been an idiot. Yes, their entire future was uncertain. But for the moment, a future was unneeded. The only things she needed - Teddy, cooing and splashing in the water and Harry, blushing and rubbing her lower back

"I... you're welcome. And thank you."

"Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"Teddy just peed on my leg."

They laughed until their sides hurt, and Teddy, oblivious, giggled along with them. After a good bit of time playing on the shore, the little trio stumbled back up the sandy hill and into Shell Cottage for dinner and a very necessary diaper change.

It was nearing eleven. Teddy had been safely put to bed, and Harry and Hermione spent some much needed alone time, fit together like puzzle pieces cuddling on the couch. In a moments time, Teddy began to cry in earnest, very suddenly. Harry jumped to his feet, holding a hand towards Hermione to tell her that she could rest and wait.

"I'll take care of him, no worries." He grinned and walked quickly into the bedroom, leaving Hermione utterly surprised when he called out her name. She heard something in his voice that struck her instantly as terrifying - fear. She leapt from the couch and raced into the room to see Harry standing just beside the crib, hands in his hair.

"Shit, what are we going to do, I can't believe he can do that, he..."

"Harry, what's wrong? Harry!"

"Look for yourself. I can't..."

Hermione stepped up to the crib, eying it's contents. Her eyes, adjusting to the dark, saw the silhouette of Teddy sleeping fitfully, crying and stopping all the same. As her eyes allowed her to see more, however, she saw the problem - on the backs of his arms, the top of his back, his legs, and his cheeks - there was a matting of thick, brown hair. The word came to her quickly. Fur.

"Shit. Harry..."

"Look at his arms and back, he's scratched himself..." She did as told and saw what Harry saw - scratches on Teddy's arms, shoulders, and torso. Upon checking his fingers, her worst fears were confirmed - his nails were thick and yellow, tapered off into points. He'd scratched himself. With his claws.

She shook her head quickly and looked at Harry. "Owl Kingsley. Now." Harry left the room to do as directed while Hermione stood watch, fretfully looking at the baby hybrid going through his first werewolf semi-transformation. The answer to their question - what would he be like? - was here. He would transform - not completely, but enough to harm himself or others. Something must be done.


	13. Chapter 13

Teddy's whimpering was heartbreaking. He'd finally learned to stop scratching himself, after thirty minutes of Hermione having to hold his arms and feet tight so that he couldn't move. It was ultimately one of the hardest things she'd ever done in her life - holding back a crying, half-transformed, injured werewolf baby while Harry - somehow slightly more calm - shouted out obscenities and owled Kingsley. What on earth was happening? He hadn't fully transformed - he still took the shape of a normal human baby, two arms and two legs, fingers and toes and that nose - but there was fur, and claws, and the few teeth that he'd already grown looked a little sharp. Harry rushed back in muttering something about really needing to get the Minister a cell phone and took over for Hermione, who sat back in the rocking chair and waited silently. In under half an hour, Kinglsey Shacklebolt had arrived - stately and calm as ever - and took one look at the child before looking at Hermione.

"How long has he been like this?"

"We put him to bed just an hour or two ago... perhaps a little longer. We think he transformed very recently, though, because he hadn't been crying at all until then. And then he was wailing, worse than I'd ever heard him, and..."

"He hasn't gotten any worse since you wrote me?"

"No. He's the same."

"He's scratched himself badly, in some spots. I'm going to bring in a Healer - one who deals in weres and their ill effects. I can apparate back here within five minutes."

"Do whatever you have to. Please, just... just help Teddy."

Kingsley nodded and did as he said - returning in just under three minutes with an older wizard in shabby pajamas and a night cap, looking around wildly. "Where's the boy, Kingsley?"

"In the crib."

"The... the crib? How young is this boy?"

The healer stood no more than one and a half meters tall, and seemed to scurry from the crib and back to Kingsley at least ten times before speaking again.

"Oh, good heavens! He's just a baby. He's... he was born this way, wasn't he?"

Kingsley nodded. "This is the child of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks."

"The metamorphmagus? And the werewolf? Oh, this is unprecedented. A child half-were, there have been a few cases... very rare. Most of them die in childbirth, the mother and child... they both survived?"

"Tonks lived to fight in the final battle against Voldemort. Both parents were killed there."

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry for your losses... and... Harry Potter? Is that...?"

"Yes." It was Harry's turn to answer. "Remus and Tonks were... they were like family to me. I'd say some of the closest I had, in the end. They left Teddy to me and Hermione."

"Granger! Oh, goodness, I did recognize you." Eyes wide, he blinked a few times before refocusing. "Now, the baby... this is the first time he's transformed?"

"That we've seen, yes."

"It could be setting on late. Traumatic experience?"

"He had been living with Andromeda Tonks until she got sick and left him to us."

"Oh, that'll do it... the poor child was probably under too much stress to transform. It's... we've found conclusive evidence in were-children... " He pulled a small bag out of his pocket - moleskin - and rummaged around until he pulled out a small vial. "Do you have a bottle? It's a simple sleeping draught, diluted to be weak enough for small children."

"Yes, of course..." Harry, who was still holding on to Teddy's limbs, nodded towards Hermione. "'Mione? Can you?"

She'd been watching the whole thing like it was happening in some other universe, in some other lifetime. The science of it had tried to work through her brain, and had failed. She nodded, pulling a bottle from the diaper bag and quickly walking into the kitchen to fix it. When she returned, Kinglsey was waiting with the unstoppered vial. He poured the liquid in and Hermione shut it fast, crossing the room to give the bottle to Teddy. He took it eagerly and was asleep within a minute. The healer took out a pair of small, thick gloves, and slipped them over Teddy's hands and feet.

"These will keep him from hurting himself. While he's asleep, he should be fine. In the mean time, we have some things to discuss. Where are the owners of the house?"

"In Egypt. Working on a curse at their bank."

"When do they return?"

As if on cue, a light clicked on in the hallway. Red hair was the first thing visible, followed by platinum blonde. "We return now. Would someone care to tell me why there's a party going on in my spare bedroom?"

The smirk on his face fell when he saw Kingsley, a healer, and Harry all crowded around the crib. He slowly and deliberately took steps towards the crib, his hand raising towards his face the whole time. When he finally took in the sight of the sleeping infant - covered in bits of fur and scratches, currently being healed by the healer - his fingers finally settled on the deep scars on the side of his face.

"Oh, dear god. He's..."

"Transformed. Halfway." Hermione's voice came out shaky, slowly. "It's rare. Usually mother and child die, but..."

Bill nodded. Fleur wept silently in the doorway, understanding the severity of the situation. Over the next hour, the other spare bedroom would be outfitted to accommodate the Healer. Kingsley - Minister for Magic, over six foot tall - would sleep on the couch. They all needed sleep, at least a few hours to be able to deal with this better in the morning, when Teddy returned to normal. After a few minutes of taking notes and pictures, the Healer left the room, followed by Kingsley. Bill and Fleur stayed behind with Harry and Hermione - the latter of which had stood only long enough for Harry to take her seat in the rocking chair and then pull her down on top of him - and asked questions. As Harry filled them in, Hermione curled closer and closer into his lap. When they finished, all stood to leave. Harry walked into their guest bedroom, Fleur retired to bed, and Hermione walked into the kitchen for some tea to help her sleep.

"So, you and Harry, huh?"

Bill grinned again, sitting across the corner of the table, elbows on the table and his head on his hands.

"I..." She couldn't finish. Even her first, one-letter word trailed off into nothing.

"Ah. I see. Still a little... what's going on with Ron? I heard he's back."

"Oh, that. Yes. In the middle of Harry and I discussing... whatever this is. He found our safe house."

"Found your _safe house_?"

"He used veritaserum on Percy."

"Perks of a ministry job... I see. And what happened?"

"He had to stay for a few days - what if he'd been followed? Or someone spotted him? Only once everything was absolutely clear did I get to tell him that no, obviously I did not wait for him to... to return and sweep me off my feet. That I was attempting to move on."

"He's not happy about it."

"Naturally." She shook her head. "He acted... fine. But..."

"It's Ron. He's probably kicking something as we speak." They chuckled a little, and Hermione took a few more sips of tea.

"It's really... complicated, with Harry."

"I can imagine. You were each with a sibling of mine at one point - what drove you to that point of insanity, I'm not really sure, but... you weren't really anything more than friends."

"That's not necessarily true."

"I know that Ginny messed everything up, with that damn article. And Ron did more than that, by leaving. But..."

"Harry and I had literally just started admitting that we really... that we really care about each other. We know we love each other, in both ways possibly. And then as we're talking about it, Ron shows up."

"Cock block?"

" _Bill!"_

"Just joking." He smiled again. "To be perfectly honest, the two of you are too smart for my siblings anyway." He reached across the table, taking a sip of her tea. "How much sugar did you put in this? It's... never mind. Ginny is a drama queen and Ron couldn't tie his shoes by himself until he was nine years old. I think that's accurate enough. And they both did things that you couldn't forgive - that even _I_ can't forgive, yet."

"I guess. Bill?"

"Yeah?"

"How did you know Fleur was the one?"

 _OH_ , he knew where this conversation was headed now. He grinned, taking another sip of her tea. Wincing slightly before speaking, he looked her straight in the eye.

"You just know. If you have to ask that question - if you're thinking that Harry could be the one, after the eight or nine years and everything you've been through together, through dating other people and fighting Voldemort and deaths and births and everything else - you just know. I knew it was Fleur the moment she talked about what our children might be like. She was joking, really, I don't think she understood that how she's translated it into English made it seem like she was planning, not just wondering. But she said they'd probably have strawberry blonde hair, and blue or green eyes, and freckles. She decided a few freckles would be fine, because it was like she'd read in a book once - it was just stardust, sprinkled on your nose and cheeks. She said that and I _knew."_

"Oh."

"Harry said anything like that lately?"

"Not so much said. He just... _does things._ "

"I see. Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"I'm happy for you both. You really deserve someone as good as each other. Rest up, we've probably got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Hermione nodded and they said their goodnights before heading into their respective rooms to sleep. Hermione heard Bill and Fleur's door close as she was closing her own door, Harry's body creating it's thin shape under the covers.

"Hermione?"

He was awake. He had likely heard their entire conversation. She _knew_ Kingsley had, being just in the other room. She didn't dare ask if he'd heard. She simply changed in the dark and slipped into bed to find him facing her, eyes wide. His glasses were off, and it was like seeing a whole different Harry in more ways than one. She could see the shine of his eyes - lightly green, even in the near-perfect darkness - and the fact that his lips were slightly parted, his cheeks flushed.

"Yeah, Harry?"

He didn't respond - not right away, and not with words. But he scooted all the way into her, until their bodies were flush against each other. She hadn't been this close to anyone in ages, and his face was less than an inch from hers, she could hear his breathing in her ears as he pulled her even closer to him, hugging her tight before relaxing, just for a moment. Their arms remained around each other, and she saw him close his eyes - she knew it was coming.

She'd always wondered what it was like to really kiss Harry, just because she could - not because they'd almost just died again, not because she'd seen the jet of green narrowly miss the both of them. The anticipation of this kiss, then, was nearly painful. She wanted to kiss him, needed to kiss him, but couldn't bring herself to do it.

She heard him draw in a breath, and his very movement against her made her nearly gasp. She didn't just hear his heartbeat, she could feel it in his chest next to her. She loved it. She could just lay here forever, and...

"If one more thing gets in the way of us - in the way of us being together, being a family - I swear to you, whatever it is I will take it out faster than you can think. I just... Merlin, all I want... is to be with you, Hermione. _"_

She couldn't speak, only nod - and when she did, on the upswing, he pressed his lips against her.

 _Oh,_ she'd wanted this. She'd missed it since the first time. He had one hand flat against her lower back, pulling her in, and the other smoothing over her hair. Her arms were wrapped tight around his neck, and the warmth that spread throughout her was unimaginable. She'd _never_ felt anything like this with anyone she'd snogged before - this intense need to not just get closer to him, but to crawl under his skin and into his very heart and soul. His tongue brushed against her lower lip and then slid into her mouth, bringing her own to the front lines, sliding against each other. It was slow, it was passionate, it was getting very hot, very fast. She didn't mind.

He pulled her leg over his hip, opening her up to him, allowing her to get even closer. After a moment, though, she pulled him back to the surface, slowing them down. They'd been just laying there, snogging, for nearly forty-five minutes, and her jaw was aching and her lips were numb and if she didn't stop now, she never would.

"Harry, I..."

"Shh. Me too, Hermione. Me too.."

He kissed her lips once more before pulling her to his chest, intent on sleeping. She took it as some divine sign of perfection that he'd known exactly what she was going to say.

_I love you._


	14. Chapter 14

"I guess there are only a few things left to say."

Harry and Hermione immediately looked up from their breakfast and coffee toward the voice in the door. It was nearing noon already, Kingsley and the Healer had long since departed. Bill stood leaning against the doorway, grinning.

"Bill! Didn't get much time to talk last night." Harry stood and hugged his old friend tightly, when the released they shook hands - hard. Hermione rolled her eyes. Boys would _always_ be boys. Harry sat again, stuffing his face, and Bill spoke again.

"You're free to stay as long as you'd like. We have plenty of space here at Shell Cottage, and the area is nice. It's going to start warming up much more soon, enough to enjoy the beach better - though, from the disturbance of sand, we can tell that you did while we're away. Must have been bloody _cold_."

Harry shook his head, mumbling a disagreement before swallowing his eggs. "Nope. Warmed up for a few days. Took advantage of it."

"Well, since it's still going to be cold out for a month - and we'll still get snow, a little - probably best to wait. But you all _should_ wait."

Hermione tried her best to excuse them. "We don't want to impede, Bill, we just needed a place to go..."

"You wrote me and I told you all that you could stay as long as you wish. Now, your being here is actually a benefit, trust me - we get awfully lonely around here, and with Fleur being pregnant... you must understand, we now have a few reserves, as to the baby. She's delicate enough as it is, without a child growing in her womb. We'll need some help for a while. Hermione you're... you're good with girl stuff, right?"

"I know how to keep the baby healthy and Fleur healthy, yes."

"Excellent. Then you stay. And know that you aren't intruding or impeding in the slightest. Plus, it'll be nice to have me around when Teddy transforms... two is probably not enough to deal with a part metamorphmagus, part werewolf baby. And Harry?"

"Hmm?" His mouth was still full of steak and eggs.

"Try chewing, before you inhale your food. You won't be so short of breath when you're done." They all had a good laugh, and Bill went to inform his wife that the little couple had accepted - for the time being, Bill and Fleur would be hosting Harry, Hermione, and Teddy at Shell Cottage.

* * *

"You're such an idiot."

"Just... Hermione!" He grunted, frustrated.

"What? Just me, what?"

"I just want to go."

"I know that. But Harry, it's too risky... they'd look for you. There's news of it everywhere. They probably know his room number. It's _Percy._ "

"Yes, it is, and if you don't remember he kind of saved our arses back there. I could change my appearance - I could..." Another grunt.

"No. You and I both know it's too dangerous. It's not about you, or Percy, it's about Teddy. We can't let anyone accidentally recognize you and follow you back here."

Harry grumbled something unintelligibly, and turned towards her again. He seemed to understanding that he was risking the entire population of Shell Cottage - all five of them - if he went to St. Mungo's to see Percy. "Fine. At least let me owl him."

"Fine. Later tonight, when an owl won't be seen leaving."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Fine."

The two had reached the end of their standoff, and for good reason.

They'd received an owl just that afternoon from Kingsley, intimating that Percy had been showing strange symptoms since the confrontation at the Ministry. After dropping them off at the safe house, he'd returned to the Ministry to help - and had found himself in the middle of a duel. Attempting to help an Auror fight off the Death Eater - Yaxley - he was struck with something that he didn't feel at the time. Taking it to mean that Kingsley hadn't properly cast his silent spell, he had thought nothing of it - but it was now the front runner in what was causing his strange symptoms. Nosebleeds, bruising, weakness. He couldn't stand for more than half an hour at a time without passing out, and he couldn't stay an entire day in the office anymore without needing serious rest. He hadn't gotten help for it until he was nearly exhausted - he hadn't been to work in a week, he'd been admitted to St. Mungo's the morning previous. The media had been on it constantly - so far, they'd found no cure.

Hermione could understand Harry's desire to see one of the middle Weasley children - he had indeed 'saved their arses' and dropped everything to spend that little bit of time trying to help them figure out what was happening. Harry, understandably, now wanted to see what was happening to Percy - but there wasn't really a way of telling, yet. Harry couldn't possibly risk going out, it had only been a few weeks since the incidence at the Ministry, and there was sure to be a Death Eater disguised, hiding about somewhere. They couldn't risk it...

What if he'd gone? What if he'd just... gone to see Percy? They would have easily recognized him, he wouldn't have thought about changing appearances beforehand. Hermione shuddered just thinking about it. They would have taken him and forced an answer out of him. She glanced around their room at Shell Cottage, not daring to think of what might become of it. When night fell, they could owl Percy and see what was happening - until then, they just had to wait.

* * *

Before they could send the letter, they got two - one from the Healer, and one from Percy. The Healer's was followed by a delivery on their doorstep - a rather large box.

_Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and housemates -_

_You'll find on your doorstep a collection of things that will help Teddy in his transformations, and keep him from injuring himself or others. Unfortunately, the boy is too young for wolfsbane - and since we don't know the extent of his condition, we don't know if it could make him worse, or better. Instead I've given you a watered down pain potion, just strong enough to use on a baby without being too much. There's a supply for six months - hopefully, by then, there will be more information. There are mitts included for his feet and hands, so that he won't scratch, and the pain potion, and a mild sleeping draught, in case he gets too violent - normally we wouldn't use a sleeping draught, at any use, on a child, but normally we don't see them live past birth... it must be done, if he gets to that point. Do not hesitate. Owl me at once if there are any concerns._

His name was signed and Hermione, helped by Fleur, opened the box. Inside, as he had described, were a set of mitts for hands and feet, made out of a somewhat bulky material. It wasn't even moveable, so they figured it must be resistant to claws as well. There was a large vial of something clear and salty smelling.

"It's pain potion. They smell like salts."

"But what eez this sleeping draught in?" Fleur removed a smaller box, taped shut. She found scissors, and cutting it open, revealed a number of syringes.

"Needles? 'Ow are we just supposed to shoot a babe with needles?"

"I don't know, Fleur... it seems rather unorthodox, but then this whole thing is..." A medical vial was inside, filled with the deep blue liquid Hermione had remembered reading was an inject-able sleeping draught. There was also a second vial of each potion, and a list of instructions of what they should do if certain things happened. Hermione tucked the list into her pocket and put the box into Teddy's room. Harry and Bill were in the back, casting charms on the place to make it invisible and the like to anyone who might be trying to watch them. Fleur joined Hermione in Teddy's room as she changed him, dressed him, and brought up a bottle to fix.

"I theenk that - we will all be 'ere for Teddy. As one familee."

Her accent had not diminished in the slightest over the years. Hermione smiled. She'd never been one to _really_ judge Fleur - though she'd definitely had her moments, her heart was usually in the right place.

"I think so too, Fleur. It's just... I worry."

"But of course! I worry about my dear Bill ev'ry day! Those scars on his face - they are bad, no? And he reacts to theengs, in ways, that other people do not. He will at times eat 'is steak rare, or closely watch things, or smell something from miles and miles away - but 'e is still my Bill. Mon amour. My love. And Teddy, 'e is still yours - like your own child. Yours and 'Arry's. I see zat you... both care for him. And each other."

Hermione felt herself blushing. "Bill talked to you?"

"And I noticed a little something myself. 'E is very kind to you."

"He is. I... we're working on it."

Fleur smiled and kissed both of Hermione's cheeks, smiling. "Good for ze both of you." She floated out of Teddy's room and into her own, leaving Hermione to feed the hungry baby. She made up his bottle and walked towards the backyard, sitting on a bench on the porch and watching Harry. He cast charms every ten steps, a few too many, but you could never be too careful. She smiled as he caught eyes with her, waved, and walked over.

"He's eating? Again?"

"He is. I got a box from the healer... and a letter from Percy. I thought you might like to read it first."

"I'll read it out loud. Bill!" He called out to the Weasley. "Letter from Percy!"

Bill joined the two as soon as the jobs were done, and Harry tore open the letter.

"Harry, Hermione, Fleur, and my brother - Bill.

I'm sure by now that you've heard of my being trapped in St. Mungo's. I admit that it's not entirely against my will, but I have a lot of work that I can't get done from a hospital bed. The symptoms wax and wane - they've been getting better over the last few days, but they've done that before. It started with a nosebleed that wouldn't stop - no charm fixed it. Then came the headaches, so bad they would blind me and I would black out. I've been getting bruising from light touches, and extreme weakness - the only reason I let them take me in, finally. I've been given administrative leave and a good amount of security, though I don't know why anyone would be coming after _me._ Seems a bit silly to be wasting valuable resources.

Anyway, I'll write this letter two-part, because that's the only way it will make sense.

Bill and Fleur - I've just heard the news that you're expecting. Congratulations! Someone should have told me sooner - I would have liked to know about my little niece or nephew sooner. I'm sure your children will be absolutely lovely. As soon as you know the sex, let me know. I'm sure mum will want to throw a party, and I don't want to be the idiot showing up without a gift, like what happened with George's last birthday party... as if he didn't have enough to be upset about that day, the first one without Fred. I show up, thinking we're just having usual family dinner, and... regardless. Congratulations, and I want to personally thank you for taking in Harry and Hermione, in addition to thanking you from the ministry - they need all the protection they can get, at the moment.

Harry and Hermione - I've spoken to the Healer that visited you and urged him to send things along to help with Teddy's transformations. I hope they come of good use. Your inhabiting Shell Cottage can remain for a good amount of time, but not forever - we will hopefully have Grimmauld Place completely restored (and protected) within three weeks or so. You'll be free to move in there then whenever you'd like. It's being done to the exact specifications I received from Harry and Fleur (who I'm assuming sent the design plans - if that was Harry, then, Hermione - you've got an interesting man, there). We'll let you know as soon as it's done.

I'll update you all periodically with news on my condition. Healers say it was most likely the cause of whatever curse Yaxley spent my way - though it could perhaps be something he has cultivated on his own in the following years. They don't yet know how to heal it. The symptoms come on one at a time, so while we're hoping there are no more - and nothing worse - we'll never be entirely sure. Don't worry too much, though! I'm not dead yet!

Also - do not reply to this letter. I'm sure you're all aware that your security is one of my greatest concerns, and anyone watching would be sure to see an owl leaving - day or night. I'd love to hear from you all, but we'll find a suitable replacement in time. Owls are too obvious, for the time being. Wish you all well, love to all. I'll update when I can.

-Percy"

The group sat still for a moment or two. It was a lot to process. Percy was sick - possibly fatal. And he didn't want a letter. Grimmauld place would be ready in just a few short weeks. And redone, and not as nasty as before. He'd been the one to urge the Healer to send things. And he'd taken a huge personal hit in the attack in the Ministry offices that day, for Harry, Hermione, and Teddy. Bill sniffed, and they all caught a tear in his eyes.

"Bloody ministry prat... now he's just a _self-sacrificing_ ministry prat. I ought to march down there myself and teach him to steer clear of duels when the ministry has plenty of Aurors for that - Perce was never one to win a fight..."

Everyone comforted each other briefly before Teddy began to cry. Fleur retreated to the kitchen, muttering out a menu for the night in her head, and Harry followed Hermione inside to burp Teddy and set him down for a nap. Once he'd stopped crying, and was softly snoring in his crib, Harry pulled Hermione by the hand into their room. They were silent until dinner, and nearly silent afterwards. Bill stayed in the kitchen, helping Fleur clean up, and Harry stopped Hermione in the hall.

"Would you come with me? To Grimmauld Place."

"Of course, for Teddy..."

"Not just for Teddy. For me. If we hadn't have gotten Teddy, I'd've redone the place anyway. And it's much too big for one person. I was going to ask you, months ago, to move in with me, and figure it out from there... things kind of went backwards. And for good reason."

"So you want me to move in with you... not just because of Teddy?"

"Right."

"And what if we have to move again?"

"We won't. Percy spoke briefly with the Burton's about what might be done at Grimmauld place, and they'd told me - we'd be completely safe there."

"So Teddy grows up with us at Grimmauld Place, and...?"

"And we take things as they come to us. We raise him. I'll talk to them about having a safe place for Teddy to transform - an Extension charm placed on a room, so he could run around and chase things. And we send him to Primary school in the neighborhood, very carefully. And he can go to Hogwarts, and we..." he trailed off.

"And we can what? What can we do, Harry?"

He had no answer again. _Oh._ She was starting to get his implied meaning. He reached for her hands, walked her back against the wall, and towered over her.

"And we just... live. However that ends up. Or we... spend our lives together. That sort of thing."

She saw him blush, even in the dark hallway, and found herself blushing as well. Admittedly, she'd thought about it before - especially lately. And now, the opportunity was sort of presented to her. She reached up on her toes to kiss him, answering him thoroughly. Without a moment's notice, he was on her passionately, pressing her against the wall, hands pulling her in at the waist, and she responded in turn - hands running through his hair, arching herself into him. It was exquisite, it was sublime, and...

"Couldn't make it to the bedroom, Potter? Granger?" Their eyes flew open to take in Bill, in his normal pose - leaning against the doorway into the hallway, grinning like a madman. "Dishes didn't take me and the missus too long - she'll be down here soon too." Harry stepped back slightly, but his hands remained on Hermione's waist. Bill shook his head.

"You're in for a ride, Mr. Potter. Granger here likes her tea with lots of sugar - or should I say, her sugar with a spot of tea. I know, I stole a bit yesterday and this afternoon both." He laughed, walking past them in the hallway and patting them both on the shoulder. They silently retreated to their bedroom, not wanting to be caught again by Fleur, and didn't say a word for over five minutes. Harry spoke first.

"If that's going to keep happening, it should be in here."

"We probably can't stay at Shell Cottage more than the few weeks it's going to take Grimmauld Place to get ready."

"We?"

"I can sell my house quickly, Harry. It's a nice house."

He grinned - _oh_ , she was in for it.

"And then where, pray tell, would you live, Hermione?"

"Harry, _please._ That's obvious."

"What is?"

"I'd live with you. At Grimmauld Place. I will."

The weight of the affirmation hit them both equally. She'd known from the beginning that she'd say yes. He'd known that she would, too. But hearing her say it was shocking enough for the both of them.

He kissed her then like he couldn't remember kissing anyone, ever before. They had a shot now, no matter how wild, and they were going to run with it as long as they could.


	15. Chapter 15

"Harry, can you keep an eye on Teddy? I'm going to run inside for a drink." Hermione shielded her eyes from the sun, squinting in the direction she'd just seen Harry. The clouds had cleared slightly for a spectacular late winter's day. Harry had brought her and Teddy out for a short picnic while the weather was warm again, and packed everything himself - except drinks. "I'll only be a moment."

He waved her off, letting her leave, and she passed Bill and Fleur on their way outside to join Harry.

"Warm outside?"

"It's decent. Teddy doesn't seem to mind it one bit."

Bill gave her a nod, and Hermione continued into the little kitchen, rummaging through the kitchen to find a container of lemonade she'd made up a day previous. On shutting the refrigerator, however, Hermione heard shouting coming from outside. She walked quickly back to the back porch of the little cottage, lemonade in hand. What could be happening? Was it something bad?

It was. As soon as she reached the door, she realized that the shouts were her name - from Harry.

"'Mione, come quick... he's transforming, I don't know... how can this happen? It's the middle of the day!"

Hermione went slack, and the lemonade hit the floor with a smack, the top popping off and spilling everywhere. She accio'd the box of things they'd gotten from the Healer last week, and brought them to Harry as quickly as she could. They put on the mitts, administered pain potion, and waited. Harry held the boy in his arms, tight against him. In a moment, Teddy seemed to calm considerably, whimpering only slightly against Harry's chest before finally drifting off to sleep.

"Hermione... "

"We need to contact the Healer. Now. Owls spotted or not, this is dangerous. This is not normal." Harry nodded, standing and walking into the house with Teddy. Hermione and Fleur followed suit, while Bill stayed behind shortly to clean up the picnic and bring everything inside. Harry's note was written and tied to the owl as Hermione walked into the room.

"I'm sending it now. We should hear from him soon." Harry left again to set Teddy down in his crib, and began to pace. This was not normal. This was terrifying - for Harry, for Hermione, and for the small child they cared so much about.

* * *

The doctor arrived in forty-five minutes.

"Sorry for the wait, I was with another patient... he's sleeping. But still changed. Did you administer sleeping draught?"

Hermione shook her head. As soon as Harry had seen that the Healer was there and taking charge, he'd left the room. Hermione had seen him walk towards the beach through a window. This was her situation, right now.

"No. We didn't... as soon as we gave him pain potion, he went to sleep."

"No bother - here. An artificial sleep can, in such cases, transform the were back to normal." A short injection later, Hermione saw the Healer was right - already, the hair was receding, the growling ceased, and she knew if she took the mitts off, his hands and feet would be fine again.

"The problem with weres, Miss Granger, is that they are affected by the force of the moon. Now, in unusual cases - Teddy, for one, where he is influenced by another morphing issue - some have been known to transform in the middle of the month - at the New Moon, as well. It's something we don't fully understand yet, but stories have gone back for centuries. It's generally known to clear up as the affected gets older - sometimes in months, sometimes years."

"And we'll have no idea when? It's hard enough seeing it happen to him once a month."

"We have no way to tell. Until then, we have to do what is best for young Teddy - provide him with what he needs while he transforms."

Hermione nodded, thanking the doctor before he left to speak with Fleur. Harry, in the mean time, had come back into the house, shutting himself in their bedroom. Hermione decided to take his place - the beach was the most relaxing part of the property, and she could use a minute to relax and think, after what had just happened. The sand was cool beneath her still bare feet, the waves making a slight ocean spray cross her face as she got closer. Her hair, usually tamed, frizzed up into an uncontrollable mess. It was beyond her, though. She sat at the water's edge, just close enough for the waves to reach her feet, and leaned back on her hands. This hadn't been the day any of them were planning. It could have been so much better. A happy picnic between two sort-of families...

"Got a bit of a thing for the beach, you two." Bill was standing above her, grinning. Hermione managed a weak smile back, patting the patch of sand beside her.

"It's relaxing. Join me?"

"I came out here to do just that." He kicked off his shoes, rolling up the cuffs of his pants and sticking his feet in the water beside hers. Only in such close proximity did Hermione really begin to see the lines etched on Bill's face - not just from his scars, but from worry lines, and laugh lines too. Bill Weasley had felt a lot of things in his years, as had Hermione. Bill, she knew, was a bit of an old soul, like herself. He'd always enjoyed reading, as had she, and had done very well in school, as well. He still held a slight smile on his face, eyes squinting, when he spoke next.

"What on Earth have you gotten yourself into, Granger?"

She swatted his arm, laying back on the sand. "I have no idea."

"Caring for an infant half-were, half-metamorphmagus... dating-slash-living with the boy who lived, Godfather to that child... making out in my hallway like a couple of hormonal school children..."

"Bill!"

"Fine, fine. But honestly, Hermione... how are you? I'd be stressed, if I were you."

"I am. But... there's a certain level of comfort, here. We have the both of you. We have Teddy. We have each other. We're... we'll make it work. We can handle Teddy together."

"And what about the both of you, together? What's going on there?"

"I don't think... that there are really words to describe it."

"That crazy?"

"Probably. Yes. Obviously, Ginny is very unhappy with him... and with Ron returning like an idiot, it caused some... problems. But it's like they're gone now. Neither have really tried to contact us since. And we're just..."

"Making out in my hallway."

"Bill!"

"Sorry, sorry... but you were, you know. I mean... I'd accidentally caught Harry snogging Gin once or twice at the Burrow back in the day, but nothing like that."

"We're adults. It's different."

"And he really, really cares about you..."

"He cared about Ginny too."

"Not... not like that. Soon enough, you'll realize, Hermione. When a woman says she could be with a certain man for life... that's been known to change. When a man says it? He's at his most serious."

"Harry hasn't said things like that."

"Oh? Even if I haven't heard him say it directly to you, he's asking you to move in with him. To care for a child together. To spend every day together into the unforeseeable future. That sort of thing."

"When you put it that way..."

"Which is the right way, mind you. Hermione, I know how men think. I am one. And even though Potter's an entirely different breed - so noble and selfless and whatnot - I understand the way he looks at you like you're the most beautiful, fascinating thing he's ever seen. This has been coming on for a while, hasn't it?"

"He said he's had feelings for me for years."

Bill smiled, and began to stand. "That's pretty much all you need to know then, isn't it?"

"Not necessarily, no."

"You love baby Teddy, you care about him. You want to stay with him. Right?"

"Right."

"And you love Harry, you care about him. You want to stay with him, as well."

"Yes, but..." She let it trail off. She knew what Bill was getting at.

"But it's different, Hermione. Isn't it?"

"Very, very different. I love Harry, of course I do - but where he was like a friend before, now he's like..."

"Like so much more. More than you could have imagined. I know the feeling. I felt it a few short years ago with Fleur. And then I married her." Bill winked at Hermione. "Coming in?" He offered a hand to help her up, but she shook her head. This big, recent realization - that perhaps she really did love-love Harry - was too much to think about inside the house, close to him.

"I think I'll stay outside a few moments."

"Take your time. Harry - and the rest of us - will be inside when you're ready."

She nodded, feeling the dull sting of tears beginning to brim on her eyes. Such a realization, she hadn't been prepared to make - but she'd have had to do it sooner or later, anyway.

* * *

Upon finally re-entering the cottage as the sun began to set, Hermione heard almost complete silence. Bill and Fleur were having their usual quiet conversations upstairs, which were typically about culture or literature or Fleur's dislike of his mother's music. Teddy, on checking in on him, was sleeping soundly after his crazy day. She did not immediately hear Harry, but found him in their bedroom, things perched in various places around the room. There were books stacked and propped open, piles of folded clothes of theirs, moving boxes he'd regrown to their usual size, his toiletry bag, the infamous camcorder Teddy's parents had made the tapes on, an extra pair of Harry's glasses, Hermione's old photo albums.

"Harry?"

He looked up from his book - an old spellwork book from their school days - with his glasses slid down low on his nose. He pushed them up, still staring at her blankly.

"Hi."

"Hello. What do you have all of these things out for, anyway?"

"I figured... we'll be out of here in a week or two. Might as well start organizing."

"So you've pulled out one random thing from most every box and strewn it about the guest bedroom at Shell Cottage? Alright."

"It doesn't look like much now, but it is. I'll show you. There's a method here." He pointed out the various piles - storage, closet, bedroom, bathroom, etc. She still didn't see much organization to the whole bit, but after her thoughts of the last few hours... his disorganized frenzy was just something she loved about him.

"How many bedrooms does Grimmauld Place have? I always lose track."

"Four, plus the master bedroom suite bit. I always forgot about that, that's where we hid Buckbeak back in the day..."

"Don't you think that's a bit much?"

"We'll find uses. Guests. Something."

"And you've got money to furnish and do all this?"

"Well, yeah. I've still got loads of what my parents gave me, I've barely touched a half a percent. And then the ministry is taking care of most of the revisions on the house, after the war and Teddy and everything... trust me. Financially, we have no problems."

"No, we just have a half-were baby, Death Eaters after us, no place to hide until then, confusing feelings, and all encompassing fear and whatnot."

"Yeah, that's about it." He smiled at her, and she joined him on the bed, letting him put his arm around her and pull her close.

"We're going to make it through this, Hermione. As long as you're willing to stay with me, we can do this."

Dare she say it? That she'd stay with him forever, if it meant having this little family, and Harry himself, all to herself? That she did love him, in more ways than one? Perhaps tonight was not the night for that.

"I will. And we can. I know it, Harry."

He kissed her forehead, and the pair lay down for a nap together, surrounded by all of their worldly possessions, but seeing only the eyes of the other.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi There! I've been omitting Author's Notes because they were really only relevant at the time I was actively posting this fic, but there's one I definitely shouldn't leave out, since it contains a bit of information that is VERY important to the further understanding of this fic. While I was writing the previous few chapters, I kept feeling like I wasn't utilizing the full potential of the characters or the storyline. I made the decision to jump time forward, skipping about ten years in time since what was happening in this chapter. Basically, this chapter continues where the last left off, but the next chapter will be TEN years into the future. Teddy will be that much older, Harry and Hermione's relationship is quite a bit different, and new things come into play without compromising any of the old storyline.

"Are we really done?"

The boxes had been packed and unpacked, organized to a mixture of Harry and Hermione's completely different specifications. There was a box marked "Bedroom" and another box marked "Not bedroom", though a location was not mentioned. There was a box marked "Bathroom things" and "Kitchen things" and even "Sitting room things, or what's left of them". It had, magically, only taken a few weeks. It had felt like months. But when they got an owl from Kingsley that read only 'your new location is finished', they knew what he meant. Grimmauld Place had been curse-broken and re-decorated. It was time for them to move.

Late on a Wednesday afternoon, Harry stood in the bedroom he'd shared with Hermione, shrinking boxes small enough to fit snugly together in a shoebox that Bill had found in his closet. Hermione had marveled at the whole thing, gushing about how Muggle moving had taken her family ages, and trucks and cars - but wizard moving took a few days and a shoebox. She'd smile when she talked about it, fascinated by the whole thing, and Harry would just watch her, taken aback by her sometimes childlike wonder about things about magic they both still didn't understand.

Hermione had joined Bill in the kitchen for tea, something that had turned into a daily ritual for the two of them - tea and chats, alone in the kitchen. Harry left them to their business - he knew Hermione needed someone else to talk to, and Fleur wasn't the easiest to understand or get along with at times...

"'Arry?"

Speak of the devil. "Fleur. Come in. I was just shrinking down the last of the boxes... we're leaving at nightfall."

"So I 'ave 'eard. Bill tells me zat you and 'Ermione are living there togezzer?"

"Yes... she's staying with me and Teddy. She is the other Guardian, you know..."

"I am aware of ze legal matters." Fleur began to help him shrink boxes, humming a little tune while she did. Most of the music she knew was all french songs, and Harry didn't recognize the little melody at all. It was pretty, but not completely comforting.

"'Arry?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think zat 'Ermione is... 'ow you say... ze one?"

The question hit him full force. He'd never really thought _that_ far about it. He'd imagined them together in the future, and he surely loved her in a few ways, but the one? Hermione? As if his mind were answering for him, he imagined the both of them in a cozy little sitting room, Teddy grown and sitting with them, a family around them. Could it be theirs? Could this be their future? Together? Without hesitation - or thinking before speaking, really - Harry nearly whispered his next statement.

" _Yes._ "

Fleur smiled. "And you are just realizing dis now?"

"Yes."

"Good. 'Ermione is... ow you say... she has something zat I do not have. It ees not... it is something special. Zat I theenk works perfect for you. She is... tres intelligent, smart, 'ow you say. She has a certain charm to 'er that I do not. And I 'ave envied zat in ze past."

Fleur? Envy anyone for anything? Harry was a little shocked, to say the least. But he couldn't deny what she'd said - there was a certain charm about Hermione that was so... just, trademark Hermione. An intelligence, a playfulness, something all her own. He couldn't quite put it into words, but he immediately remembered a time just this last week, sitting around reading together. Harry was reading a book on past wizarding wars that he was having trouble staying attentive to, and Hermione was reading something terribly boring about false medieval magicians. She had borrowed an older, weaker pair of his glasses, and they were slipping down her nose a little while she read. She had looked up at him at one point, glasses nearly about to fall off, wide-eyed and beautiful, and she'd just started laughing about it. And Harry, unable to not be affected by this charm, had laughed right along with her, noticing how cute she was when she laughed about things, or how she looked alright in his glasses.

"She's... yeah. It's something like that." He grinned, and Fleur patted him on the shoulder.

"Keep 'er around, oui?"

"Of course. Yeah. I'll... we'll talk."

Fleur left the room in a breeze, as usual. Nobody made an exit like Fleur. Harry, slightly overwhelmed by this newest realization, pushed two boxes aside and sat on the bed, resting his elbows on his knees. This was heavy.

* * *

"I wanted to talk to you about something, Hermione."

"Alright, shoot." Bill stood above her, his hands on her shoulders. He'd already had his tea and half of hers. She'd miss that about him - Bill was all about nonsense, but not in the way that sillier people were. He just did things.

"Are you making the right choice?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not questioning your judgement - please don't think it that way. I'm saying... if you make this move, it will change your entire life. No University, likely until Teddy has grown. Caring for a child with a rather unusual set of needs. Living with Harry." He kept his hand on her shoulder while he walked around her, smiling. "You're young, Hermione. This is a big move."

"I'd do anything for Teddy."

"And for Harry?"

She looked up into Bill's eyes, and she got the meaning of his question. "I would do anything... _anything_ for Harry. He's my... he's everything."

Bill grinned. "I see. Admittedly, Hermione - and don't tell the missus I said this - you're a brilliant, funny, absolutely _gorgeous_ girl. Many a day in my teen years, when you were running about with Potter and my brother, I noticed how attractive you are. You've grown, you've matured. You're not that little girl anymore. And you're smarter than you were then, too. Definitely by standard intelligence, but also in common sense. In doing the right thing."

She nodded. If there were any lessons she'd had to learn, they weren't about Charms or Potions. They were about Love, and Forgiveness, and Patience. "I suppose. I really do think this is the right thing, though. We've been at this for a few months now and I still feel the same. I want to be there, for both Teddy and Harry."

"Good. They're going to need you." The pair laughed, and when silence fell again, Hermione heard footsteps.

"Dear? I think zat 'Arry is done packing... eet is time."

Hermione almost wasn't ready to leave. Bill was a wonderful housemate, and though he'd essentially just admitted to having a crush on her while she was younger, she felt completely comfortable around him. "Alright. I'll... I'll help him finish." Upon standing though, Harry joined them.

"'Mione. I'm... done. Shrank and everything."

"Wow. Okay. I'll... did you owl Kingsley?"

"Ten minutes ago."

"Excellent. He should be here soon then. Did you change Teddy?"

"Yes."

"And pack his crib?"

"Yes, only thing out is him and his stroller."

"And you got the crate of things from the healer?"

"Yes, Hermione. I got everything."

"Wow. Okay. We just... wait for Kingsley then. Shouldn't take him long. He said he'd stay nearby."

"He's bringing aurors for security... they'll all be invisible around us. We'll change our appearances, put a silencing charm on the stroller, and walk to the taxi he'll have waiting for us. The taxi takes us to the train station, where two aurors will change their appearances and travel with us."

"Right."

The four stood in the kitchen, glancing around sadly. They'd enjoyed each other's company. They'd enjoyed the chats, picnics, nights in, dinners, tea. They'd enjoyed spending time with friends.

Fleur moved first, to hug Hermione. Bill hugged Harry. In the cross afterwords, Fleur gave Harry an extra-long hug, making him promise to be safe and update them when he could. She promised they'd visit soon. Bill pulled Hermione in close, kissing the top of her head and chuckling.

"Do good by him, Hermione."

"I will. Trust me on that... I will."

He stepped back and smiled. The four only needed to wait another moment - Kingsley rang the front bell at that moment.

* * *

The entire journey didn't take more than seven hours, landing the couple, the stroller, and their two trained auror companions at 12 Grimmauld Place by nightfall. Once safely on the doorstep, the aurors briefed the little family as to the security measures that were installed in the house - constant surveillance, security spells, and a shield charm that would keep all but them out - unless, of course, they brought guests over with them, in which case they just had to bring them in with them. They'd have an auror on location for two weeks, just to make sure they weren't followed. Everything sounded complicated.

"The ministry has made your security a top priority. The Minister himself ordered it. Now, I'd like to show you into your new home, I need to do a security sweep anyway." The tall, pale auror opened the door, stepping inside and holding his wand up - it glowed momentarily. "This is your first security checkpoint. It does a semi-biological wand scan. It can tell if this is your wand, and if you are actually the one using it. Hold yours up..."

They did. After a moment of glow, the pair were allowed to step forward after the auror, who preceded to show them into the various rooms. The transformation from the old Grimmauld Place to the new was unbelievable. Gone was the peeling, green and black wall paper, the eerie decor, the scary paintings, any hint of gloom. The remodeled Grimmauld Place had dark hardwood floors, cream and black colouring, and a very elegant, beautiful feel to it. As the auror walked the pair towards the Master bedroom suite, Harry held his breath and looked at Hermione, who looked down and grabbed his hand.

"Are you really ready, Harry?"

"Yes."

The doors opened, and a bedroom beyond their expectations was revealed. A large, lush, dark wood four poster with flowy canopy. The same dark hardwood and dark furniture. Harry thought he spotted a whirlpool tub in the bathroom beyond. The auror nodded.

"Right. I'll leave you two to it, then. Mr Potter, your request on the upper bedroom was granted. The curses and sticking charms have all been removed, but everything is in the exact same place it was. We didn't touch another thing."

"Excellent... thank you. I was hoping that would go through."

"What would? Harry?"

"It's... Sirius' old bedroom. I want to... there are things I want to go through. Some things of his I might want. Photographs and school things and... things. From my Godfather." His eyes were wet already.

"This is something you want to do alone."

"Yes. I need to. For him."

"I'll get Teddy to bed. He's had a long day. Do you want to start tomorrow, or...?"

"No. I start tonight."

She nodded grimly. Harry was in tears, and she couldn't do a thing about it. He needed to do this, she knew, but it wasn't going to be easy on him. She set the crib up in the master bedroom for the night, she'd unpack the rest tomorrow. With Teddy safely asleep and three cups of tea down for herself, Hermione saw the clock - it was past one. Harry had been in there for a few hours, already. And it didn't seem he'd come out any time soon. He was planning on staying in there all night. She didn't want to disturb and ask, so she slipped a small note under the door. She heard him moving things, muttering to himself.

_Assuming you're going to be in there all night. Going to sleep. Goodnight, Harry.  
_

She signed it off with _love, hermione_ and changed and got into bed, letting the events of the day pull her down into a deep sleep.

* * *

When morning came, Hermione made a fresh pot of coffee, making up Harry's cup just how he liked it, and her own as well, setting them on a tray. Teddy had slept through the night, a godsend, and when Hermione reached the door, she heard no noises. Knocking lightly, she heard him call her in, and so she entered, carefully balancing the tray.

Sirius' room was just how it had been when they'd seen it during the war. Harry had had everything taken off the walls so that paint and whatnot could be done, and everything that was probably in piles before, was now sorted through and boxed up.

"These sixteen go into storage. I can't bear tossing them yet. These two go in a closet, or something. And the medium one is _full_ of photographs. I want to put them up, everywhere. He's got pictures of me, my family... everyone."

Hermione nodded, setting the tray down next to him on the bed. He took his cup, sipping on it so as not to burn himself.

"Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"This... this will be Teddy's room."

"Are you sure? We could make it up and keep it safe, but..."

"No. This is... I can feel it. This needs to be Teddy's room. My Godfather slept here as a child, raised his own little rebellion against his family, and everything else! Teddy has a lot to fight, as well. We'll put the bed into storage too... the crib can come in here. Today."

She nodded, leaning into his shoulder. "Was it hard? Going through his things?"

Harry pulled back slightly, but grabbed her hand - he wasn't ready to let her go so soon."It was awful. I mean... it was wonderful at the same time. But there were so many things I didn't know about Sirius. His favorite quidditch team. His first girlfriend. His greatest dreams. There are pictures from the day he got his bike, and his finishing Hogwarts, and everything... I discovered so much about him last night. It was almost... eerie. Like he was showing me these things himself."

Hermione squeezed his hand and took a sip off her coffee. "Sometimes, Harry, people leave things alone so we can remember them. Sirius spent enough time here in his last years to take all of this down... but never did. I think... I think he was leaving it for you."

Harry nodded, pulling her in close again. The pair sat like that for a moment more, surrounded by boxes of years of Harry's Godfather's life - photographs, wall hangings, old clothes, a broken broom, a hat or two. This was a lifetime of things, a lifetime of Sirius.

"Let's move. We've got a bit of unpacking to do."

* * *

Over the next few days, Harry helped Hermione unpack the rest of the house by magic, but when it came to Teddy's room and Sirius' old things, every box carried in and out was done by hand. The boxes were put into the attic, or a closet. The photographs were put up one at a time around the sitting room, dining room, bedrooms. Teddy woke up only briefly, exhausted from the day before and all that travel, and when he did, Harry took him into Sirius' old room and shut the door. Hermione sat outside listening to Harry tell stories of Sirius, and Remus, and James. He told him about their fathers, about his Godfather, and how he was now a Godfather to Teddy himself. She found herself openly weeping after just twenty minutes, and left the hallway to resume unpacking until Harry returned.

"Just... filling Teddy in. He'll know more in time, and understand more."

"Harry that was... it's really special, what you're doing. For Teddy. And about Sirius' room. And..." she burst into tears again. Since when had she gotten so emotional?

"Shh... Hermione, it's alright. It's fine. He set Teddy down in his high chair for a moment, grabbing Hermione round the waist and holding her tight. "Thank you. For everything. I... I love you, Hermione. You must know that. And... this could be it for us. If you don't mind that." He pulled his head back, looking into her bloodshot eyes. She'd been crying for a bit, but she was smiling, too.

"I think... Harry, I think that would be wonderful."

And as he kissed her in the kitchen, smoothing over her hair, breathing in her scent, staying attached to those lips for as humanly possible, something in him changed, for the better. The pair put Teddy to bed, and joined each other in the bedroom. For the first time that night, they made love, and neither of them would ever be the same again.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes the time jump. A handful of people didn't like it originally when I did it, but most came around after the next chapter or so. Things are different, but not so much so that the fic is entirely changed. Enjoy!

His phone rang for the seventh time that morning. Clearly, it was going to be a busy Friday. The standard-issue office telephone blinked and rang at him, pulling at his last nerve and yet bringing him an odd sense of calm, as well. It was only eight in the morning. He'd been up an hour already. And nothing made Harry happier than being able to hold these work hours from his own office at home, in his pyjamas, with fresh coffee made by his long-term girlfriend, Hermione. Well, long term was perhaps a bit of an understatement. They'd been dating ten years, as of today. He'd woken her up with flowers and breakfast, and she'd brought him coffee while he got the kids ready for school. He'd planned a surprise lunch and dinner for her, as well as a little excursion he knew she'd enjoy, while Luna and Neville watched the kids. Speaking of the children...

"Dad! Teddy's just said I'm not your real son, he is!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

He could hear Hermione following the two upstairs. "Boys! Your father is working. And as far as we're concerned in this family, you're both our children. Now head back downstairs for breakfast, your eggs are getting cold and I'm getting in the car and leaving for school in twenty minutes!"

He didn't even need to look through his office doorway - the doorway of what was once Regulus' old bedroom - to know his children were running like flashes past his door now, Hermione trudging behind in tow. This was how it worked - she took care of them in the mornings, when they were fresh with the energy for a new day, and when they came home cranky and with homework to do, Harry buckled down after his own work was done, and tutored them through it - naturally, with tons of help from Hermione.

Her footsteps stopped outside his door, and came inside.

"Thanks for breakfast this morning, love. And the flowers. They're beautiful."

"A bouquet befitting the love of my life. Only the best." And when he said it, he meant it - not just that they were the best flowers, imported late the night before for a pretty penny, but that she was the love of his life. Stubborn as she was, Harry knew that what they had would last forever. And even if she'd been reluctant to marry him, he knew that one day, she'd get past her insecurities and say yes. They were nearly both thirty. Time was ticking.

A lack of a marriage certificate, however, hadn't stopped them from conceiving and raising a child of their own. The second set of stumbling footsteps he heard every morning belonged to Jack - their eight year old son. Jack had been a bit of a surprise, but a blessing all the same, and definitely not an accident - Hermione had simply stopped casting the contraceptive charm, and a few months later, they were pregnant. Teddy was two, and while his transformations were stabilizing, his attitude was not. He'd always been feisty, sometimes nearly impossible to deal with, but their son all the same. When Jack came into the world, though, it was like everything changed - Teddy, always the hero, wanted nothing more than to protect his baby brother, to 'grow him up right', as he'd said a few years later. Now, they were inseparable - though naturally, siblings will have their quarrels. Jack had shaggy, light brown hair, pale skin, and a smattering of freckles on his nose, making him look comparatively tame compared to Teddy, who frequently sported the teal he had been known for since he was a baby. The two were, at times, total opposites - but they worked so well together that one hardly noticed how different they were.

"I'm going to take the boys to school and head back home. I've got a few files I need to look over, but besides that I'm free for the day. After that last case, everyone in the offices decided I needed a day off."

"You deserve at least a week, we've all been telling you that. Passing that most recent law for the house elves... big step."

"It took six months of just court work... the paperwork and pre-trial were maddening."

"I remember. You were a little... well..." He grinned, and she swatted his shoulder.

"Fine, fine, I'll take a few days. But first, I'll take the boys to school. Get your things done, I'm curious as to what all you have planned for the day..." She left the room, and Harry went straight to his work. He did indeed have a lot planned, and he needed a little time to finish the plans so that everything was fully prepared by the time they left. The boys ran upstairs for hugs and whatnot, and he slipped them each a little extra pocket change from the drawer in his desk for an ice cream after school, as he did every day. They pretended Hermione didn't know what they were up to, but to be perfectly honest, she adored Harry's little jokes with the boys, and he knew that. The car pulled out of the drive in the back and Harry dove into his work, eager to finish and spend the day with the girl who'd pretty much always been the complete reason for his existence.

* * *

"What do you think?"

"I think we're going to be broke for a year, but Harry, it's beautiful, all of it."

"Rubbish, I used what was leftover from my holiday bonus. There was plenty." He squeezed her waist almost imperceptibly tighter, kissing her cheek and resting his head on top of hers. He'd taken her for lunch in the city, at a fancy restaurant with more silverware than he knew what to do with (she helped him out on that one) and for a little shopping in the afternoon, partially for a new tux for him and a dress and things for her for the evening. He'd rented a room in Paris for the night, set up dinner on the rooftop, and had set up for the kids to be watched overnight by Luna and Neville with their daughter, Eloise, and son, Collin, twins of nine years of age. The sleepovers were always a riot, she thought - Harry and Hermione's boys were the quirkiest of the two, with Teddy being the obvious leader, and Jack his second in command. Eloise was just one of the boys, and probably argued better and played harder than the rest of them, frequently referring to Collin as 'my pansy brother' and Jack as 'the baby'. There had, of course, been jokes throughout their childhoods that Teddy and Eloise would end up together - she had almost silvery blonde hair nearly all the way down her back, a wicked grin, and wide green eyes. Her brother had the same blonde hair, but very short, with blue eyes and freckles. Tonight's sleepover would be no different.

"I thought we'd used the last of that on the car?"

"That was my advancement bonus - remember?"

"Oh, right. Right. Harry, it's all beautiful. Thank you."

"Anything for you. Hermione, you know this now and I'll tell it to you a million times - you're the love of my life. You're my entire reason for being, for breathing. Almost ten and a half years ago, you agreed to go on this journey with me, to take care of Teddy and be with me, side by side."

"If only I'd known what I was getting myself into..." she trailed off, grinning. Harry rolled his eyes. This was their routine. The truth was, and this she knew well, that she couldn't see her life any other way. This was where she fit, they both knew that.

"And you've loved every second of it, 'Mione. You know that."

"More than anything. Harry, you and Teddy and Jack are my boys, you're everything to me. You're family."

"Well, only Jack, officially..."

This little glare of hers was nearly serious. _Officially._ The word that had killed them both. In the last ten years of dating, of raising two children, of living together and spending nearly all of their time together... Hermione had never yet agreed to marrying Harry. He'd asked - oh, he'd asked, probably seven or eight times by now. But each time, she insisted that their current arrangement was for the best, that marriage would only tie them down, make them old. She didn't want to be old - but she was thirty now, and she thought to herself, thirty was something.

"Yes, well. That's a different subject entirely."

"Not really."

"Let's not have this conversation now, Harry. Please?"

"Fine. But I do need to give you your presents. There are three."

"Three? I thought I told you not to go overboard..."

"And did you think I'd listen?"

"No, true. Carry on."

He pulled a bag from behind his chair and pulled the first of three items from it - a wrapped package, familiarly book-shaped, and heavy.

"The first. Something I know you've been wanting a long, long time."

She removed the wrappings to find a copy of _Hogwarts, A History._ This, however, wasn't any copy. It was a heavy, musty, moderately-damaged first edition.

"You're joking."

"It took me ages to find, but a little money and my name can go a long way."

"I've been looking for one of these since..."

"Since our second year at school, practically. You'd had it memorized by then."

"Where did you finally get one?"

"An old collector in the middle of London. She'd had two copies. Her library rivals even ours."

"It's beautiful, Harry, thank you." She held it to her chest briefly, marveling in the age and wisdom in this book. The first print of this book hadn't been more than a hundred and fifty copies, for the students of that small year at Hogwarts. She'd been looking for years. What on earth could the other presents be?

He took out a second, an envelope. Inside she found four tickets to Paris, where they currently were, of course. "We'll bring the boys back. Family vacation. I've already arranged everything, the ministry gives anyone at my tier and up a bonus once a year for a family sort of trip, I figured this would be a good first trip."

"It's fantastic. The boys will love it - they'll make fun of the accents and eat like little mad men."

He smiled and gave her more details on the trip, while also reaching for the third gift. When she looked down, she saw a small velvet box and groaned.

"Harry, please not this again, I-"

"Shh. You're not even letting me give it to you. It's not what you think. It's just... it's a promise, sort of. That even if you don't want to marry me, I'll always be committed to you and whatnot. It's... I was looking for a necklace but the jeweler showed me this and I had to get it for you. It was perfect... I know you don't like stones." He slid the box across to her and she carefully picked it up. It wasn't the box that held _the_ ring - the one he'd proposed to her with before. This one was different, dark blue. She opened it and gasped at what she saw inside - set in the most beautiful, intricate, delicate goldwork she'd ever seen, on a thin band, was one perfectly smooth, round white pearl.

"It's gorgeous, Harry. It's perfect." She pulled it out and he slipped it on her ring finger - right hand, of course. It was a perfect fit, and looked beautiful on her hand. "I love it. It's fantastic."

"And it's perfect for me, too. I don't have to face the embarrassment of trying to propose to you again, 'Mione."

She rolled her eyes at him and stole another look at her new ring. It was honestly the most beautiful piece of jewelery she'd ever seen. To be a little ironic, the ring was great because it was beautiful and complicated, just like their relationship. She reached across the table for his hand and smiled. "Today has been wonderful, Harry. Thank you for everything."

"I've been planning it for weeks - I love you, 'Mione. You know that. It's been... you've been worth every second of it."

She smiled. If she wasn't so terrified of something like marriage, one could say she was living her dream life. But there were some things that could not get past a level head, and one of those things included a white dress, linens, and likely an entire press section. A wedding just seemed frivolous, at this point. A piece of paper. Right?

* * *

After a well deserved, and very _very_ well spent night in Paris, Harry and Hermione apparated onto the security porch home and then stepped inside, passing all of the usual security measures and such, to where Luna and Neville, their children, and Harry and Hermione's own children, were already waiting in the sitting room. The enchantments and security measures in question hadn't come down in the whole time they'd been living there - and in fact, just in the last year, there had been two attempted breaches and at least four sightings of wizards outside their building. The dark forces were still after Teddy - but Harry and Hermione, along with the ministry, had been able to work out security and a schedule that had them operating at almost-normal. Teddy still knew very little about the threats made against him, but knew enough to be extremely careful. He even had a different face he changed into for school, one that looked more like Jack, in case he was seen on a playground or getting picked up. Right now, however, he looked just like Teddy - shock of blue hair above a pale face with round pink cheeks, with a somewhat long nose and the darkest eyes Harry had seen on anyone. Also, Harry thought, he very rarely saw Teddy without a wicked little grin on his face - something he knew personally came from being the son of a Marauder.

"Mum! Dad!" The boys ran to them, each hugging their respective parent. It was a routine - Hermione, sort of the boss of the family, was always first to be hugged by Teddy, the most outspoken of the children. Jack, who was a little more timid and a little more well-behaved, went straight to Harry, usually hugging him for as long as humanly possible before they switched. In years previous, Hermione would then swing little Jack up onto her hip and hold onto him until bed - she did this until he was about five, and then he was too big for her to lift anymore, and she'd simply hold his hand or talk to him while she made a nighttime pot of tea or glasses of warm milk. The two sets of parents chatted briefly about their opposite weekends, Luna and Neville talking about their night with the children (and the large, theatrical show Luna had helped them set up, rehearse, and perform for Neville) and Hermione standing beside Harry, gushing about their lovely day together and their wonderful dinner, and then showing them the pearl ring and smiling ear to ear.

"It's beautiful, Hermione!" Luna held Hermione's hand in the air, turning it slightly this way and that to admire the goldwork. "Beautiful. Lucky woman, you are!"

Neville looked at her in a sidelong glance, and Luna swooped down and gave him a peck before he could say anything. "Almost as lucky as me. After the children all fell asleep last night, Neville brought me dessert and coffee in bed and put on our favorite movie, which he'd gone and bought on his way home from work. Lucky, lucky us, for our wonderful men." Luna grabbed Neville's hand, and the diamond ring on her left marked the only true distinction between the two couples - that, and the fact that Luna was about as unpredictable as the Knight Bus.

The other little family set out at last, and Harry listened to his sons shouting about their sleepover with Eloise and Collin, and the games they played, and how late they stayed up, and he laughed. Teddy, naturally, had been the 'director' of the little show, and the star. Harry had never seen Teddy back down from being the man in charge, and if he was anything near as feisty as Tonks had been and as righteous as Remus, he never would. Jack said less, but Harry found out later he'd somewhat stolen the show at the end with a particularly funny scene in which he'd had to kiss Eloise on the cheek, making the whole group laugh at him, even in character. He smiled, though - always smiling, always happy, that was Jack. Just a bit quieter than Teddy, for sure.

"You boys had better head to bed. Tomorrow's Sunday, and you know what that means..."

"Family dinner!" They shouted together.

"You know it, and you know Grandma Molly will have a fit if you're too tired for dessert..."

" _Dad,_ have Teddy or I _ever_ been too tired for her desserts?"

"Never, because I raised you right - and she makes excellent puddings."

The boys laughed and chased each other upstairs to get ready for bed. Harry heard Hermione rummaging around in the kitchen, likely making herself some tea, and took a moment to reflect on his life.

After the horrendous ending of both his and Hermione's relationships with their respective Weasley's, the situation didn't look as if it would get much better. Despite this, Ron, however idiotic he'd been, had stayed true to his word - he'd come back, and he'd changed quite a bit, and he really did want to be friends. As Harry's relationship with Hermione developed, Ron actually had really supported them - and had made jokes about being the Best Man at their wedding, if they ever had one. Ginny had been a little more difficult to remain close with - the end of Harry's relationship with her hadn't been easy, and she hadn't really changed much. They were friends, to be sure, but he now saw in her a few bad things that he wish he would have seen before - a bit of selfishness she'd developed from having to live with six brothers, and a tendency to not know when to shut up, probably for the same reason and having grown up through the war, he thought. She'd married Dean a few years previous, and they had no children, but what seemed to be a decent marriage. Hermione and Ginny still didn't get along quite well, but they didn't really need to - Weasley/Potter/Granger/Thomas/Longbottom dinners were always bustling with news and talk, you didn't really have to talk to anyone you didn't want to. They were obviously unable to fit inside anymore, so on rainy days Arthur would gather the men to cast enough charms to block out the rain over the long table in the garden, but on clear nights like tomorrow would probably be, they ate under the stars, like one big, happy, dramatic family.

Ten years, it had been, since they'd gotten Teddy. Nearly eleven since the war. And now Ginny was married to Dean, Ron was seeing a woman from the ministry, George was married to Angelina, Bill and Fleur had their first child a few years ago, Charlie was still single, Percy had quit his job at the ministry and run off with a painter woman, and they'd only just returned from a three-month trip to India. Oh, how things had ended up so much differently than they'd expected...

"Coming to bed, Love?"

She was only in her panties, bra, and a little silk robe he'd gotten her for her last birthday. That was where she'd disappeared to - she wasn't in the kitchen, she was coming up and down the stairs to their bedroom. She looked fantastic, for not having any sleep the night before. And if Harry could control it, she wouldn't get much tonight, either - one thing hadn't changed a bit in their ten years of being together, and that was their sex drive.

"Do you even have to ask?"

* * *

"It is a Full Moon though, so we'll have to be out a little early."

" _Dad,_ I told you, I can control them so much better now!"

Molly and Harry laughed a little at Teddy, obviously frustrated over his monthly issue. His transformations were still happening, which most of his doctors took to mean that he was going to have them for the rest of his life. Being half-were was tricky - sometimes they just went away, sometimes they didn't. His hadn't. However, Teddy's was even trickier still because he was half metamorphmagus - and able to change bits of his appearance and body at will. He had learned to keep from growing claws of any sort, or half of his fur, and the yellow colouring of his eyes - though he usually left the last one anyway. Doctors all thought it was a miracle - because he'd learned how all of these parts of his body worked together as a metamorphmagus, he'd learned to mostly control his pain, as well. His transformations now were just a change from a ten year old boy, to an especially overactive ten year old boy half covered in fur, moving at nearly the speed of light, and eating raw steaks by the kilo.

"Yes, but still. We've got your food and things at home - and your room."

"I guess. But I wanted to stay with Grandma and the cousins!"

"We've got all the other Sundays in the world for that. This is just one Sunday, Teddy, you know that." His son turned his hair from light brown to pitch black and stormed off with an exasperated sigh. It was nearly sundown, they'd stayed for dinner, but couldn't stay for desserts. Teddy had an expanded room at home that he ran around in during his transformations, and it was waiting. It was a trying time of the month for Teddy, who became especially troublesome around the full moon each month. Hermione, from what Harry saw, gathered Jack and Teddy together, waved to Harry, and stepped into the Burrow to use the Floo and get them all home in time. Harry waved her on, staying to talk to Molly for a moment.

"How are things with you and Hermione?"

"Great, really. Friday we celebrated ten years."

"Oh, Harry! I'm so proud! And how wonderful for you both. No trouble with the children, then?"

"If by trouble you don't mean my half-werewolf half-metamorphmagus Godson and my somewhat shy, mischievous son, then no, no trouble at all. Just the usual."

Molly laughed, patting him on the shoulder. "Oh, Harry, dear. You're all so wonderful together. It's not how I would have predicted things, of course, but... looking back on it all, now, I wouldn't have it any other way. And you're still like children to me, both of you." Molly gave him a warm smile, but even Harry could feel the sadness - she'd been looking forward to being able to call Harry her son. They'd grown immeasurably close through his summers and holidays at the Burrow, she was the closest thing he'd ever had to a living mother, and he had always looked forward to really calling her mum, as well. It wouldn't happen now, not officially so, but he still called her mum when he could, for the both of them.

"I wouldn't have it differently either, mum. I'll owl you tomorrow, go over the plans for Arthur's birthday and everything."

"Right! Yes! And I'll see you next week, dear."

"Of course."

Harry went around and said his various goodbyes to those closest to him, getting his customary hug from Ron and slap on the back from George. When he flooed home to find Teddy already set up and running around in his room, Jack already asleep in bed, and Hermione in her customary reading chair in the hall outside Teddy's space, he smiled. It wasn't what most people would call normal, but like Molly had said - he wouldn't have it any other way.


	18. Chapter 18

"Harry, you'll never guess what I just found..." Hermione turned the corner, but was preceded by the edge of a cardboard moving box. "This has to have been in the cupboard for years."

Harry grabbed the box from her and set it on the coffee table in his office. On the side were just a few words - Tonks and Remus Things - and the box was nearly full of things shifting around. He sliced the tape with a pair of scissors in his drawer and opened the box. He'd remembered putting this box in the closet - he wanted to store it there, to keep these things from getting dusty and being forgotten in the attic. There were the tapes, the old camera, a coat of Remus' that wasn't the shabbiest of the collection, Tonks' old Hufflepuff scarf, pictures of the two of them and of Teddy, together. He had their wands, in protective sleeves, and their wedding bands in a little satin bag. He hadn't been able to take much more, just enough of what was left to be able to show their son one day. He'd been wanting to wait until Teddy was old enough, and perhaps the time had come. For a ten-year-old rebel, Teddy was remarkably mature, from dealing with his half-were problems.

"Hermione, I think..."

"He's ready? I wondered the same. He's only ten though, Harry, and there are some dark things..."

"He's known since he started going to school that there are dark things surrounding him. And I was about his age when I found out what had happened to my parents, what the truth was... I think he's ready."

Hermione nodded. "Okay. I think... I think you're right then. He's strong. And I think... I think he'd want to see these things too. You know how much he asks about them."

"Practically a handful of times a week, I know. He'll love this."

"Do you think we should show him the tapes, Harry?" She sat on the couch behind the coffee table, and he joined her.

"Honestly? We were terrified enough when we saw them. But they are about him. And he has been morphing himself for years now. He deserves to know why."

Hermione bit her lip, removing the tapes from the box. It was a Saturday - she'd just been preparing to sweep the entryway before making brunch when she'd seen the bottom edge of the box in the closet. She was not prepared for this. But perhaps they could make good plans out of it... it had begun to rain earlier that morning anyway, and Jack could always go to Luna and Neville's after brunch for a few hours. Teddy should watch these. The fact that she was planning it all out in her head, however, proved it to her. Harry was right.

"Okay. I'll... we'll all make brunch together, and then I'll make up something to Jack about going out so we can take Teddy school shopping... you know Jack wants to avoid anything about Hogwarts until he gets to go."

"That's true. We'll... I'll send an owl off to Luna now."

"You could just call, you know."

Harry grinned, grabbing a sheet of parchment from a lower drawer in his desk, along with a quill from the top. "You know I never give up the chance to do this."

"I'm aware." Their owl, who Teddy had wittily named Quilliam when they'd gotten him a few months previous, landed on the edge of the window as if he'd been called. The bird was extra perceptive, and tended to land on the covered windowsill when it started raining, or when it heard Harry shut the drawer on his desk. He hooted once, turning between Harry and Hermione, and she laughed. It was as if owl and man were teaming up - and having fun.

"You both have fun, I'm going to wake the boys and start brunch. I'll inform Jack of his new plans and Teddy of his real ones."

"Thanks, love. I'll be down in a few."

Hermione nodded, heading towards the boys rooms, and Harry scrawled off a note.

_Luna, Neville, Colin, and Eloise - mostly Luna and Neville:_

_If it's alright with you, can Jack come over for a few hours, we've got some business to attend to that Jack will want no part of (Children, read Hogwarts, Parents, read Remus and Tonks) and we'll spend the day sorting things out and heading out for a while. You can call if you want, I just really wanted to write a quick letter... cheers to you both, and I'll bring Jack over at one._

He attached the note to the owl's leg and watched Quilliam fly North. Luna and Neville didn't live far, so he expected a quick reply. Downstairs, he could hear the noise of a blender and a mixer over the chatter of his two boys and Hermione. This would be a calm, relaxing, fun brunch. And then he was going to have to share some things with his son - some beautiful, some terrifying.

* * *

"Jack, are you ready?"

"Yeah, I guess... just let me grab something." He came back from his room a moment later with a sweatshirt and a foam sword.

"Right. Floo powder!"

Jack grabbed a little handful proudly. Harry and Hermione had made sure that they trained their boys early in Floo travel - mistakes were, as Harry knew, quite dangerous. The two disappeared, and a moment later, Harry returned to find Hermione, Teddy, and the box in the sitting room they'd added on, with rain beating against the wide window that took up most of the wall. Teddy was looking at the box, clearly seeing his parents names.

"Dad?"

"Teddy... this is a box of your parents things. Your birth parents. I... I've kept them until I thought you were old enough. We. We thought you were old enough." He nodded at Hermione, and Teddy was nodding too.

"What... what's in the box, Dad?"

"You want to open it?"

"I don't know."

"I think you should. There are some things in there that I think you'll really enjoy. There are some other things, too... I took the liberty of taking them out earlier. They're in my office. I'll go get them when we're done with this... but you'll really like this. We'll deal with the heavy stuff last." He grinned, sitting next to Teddy - the boy he'd raised as his own son for over a decade.

"Okay." Teddy lifted the flaps on the box, and took out a familiar yellow and black scarf. "One of them was in Hufflepuff? My mother, I'm guessing..."

"You're right on that one. Loyal, hard working, and, well... a little stubborn." Harry smiled. "Your father was a Gryffindor - with my Dad."

"I remember you telling me before." He pulled out an old school sweater that belonged to Remus - like everything else he owned, it somehow took on a shabbier, more worn look than anything anyone else owned. Even school-issue sweaters. Harry pulled out the coat next.

"This was his too. I believe from when he was younger, though he stayed skinny well into his later years, and he was still wearing this when he was teaching at Hogwarts... go ahead. Try it on."

Not surprisingly, as things seemed to be, it fit Teddy - not perfectly, it was a little big on the shoulders and nearly reached his knees, but with a little growing, it wasn't half bad.

"Dad... can I keep it?"

Harry laughed. "Of course, Ted... it's all yours. We saved it for you. Have you seen the pictures?"

Teddy pulled out the stack of photographs and together with Harry and Hermione, flipped through them. Harry and Hermione told Teddy stories of his parents, of the pictures, and of everything great his parents had done, in and before the war. When the photos were done and some things (all except the coat) were back in the box, Harry stood.

"That... that sort of ends the fun. Teddy, I'm sure you've realized that we've made you take some... some somewhat extreme precautions since you were very young."

"Hats when I was a baby, changing my appearance as soon as I could understand you. Right."

"Exactly. And things like that. You're... you're about to learn a little bit more as to why. Let me... I have to get the tapes."

He returned, and Teddy was sitting with the coat wrapped around him, quiet. Hermione sat beside him, her hand on his back, and they both had their feet tucked under them in the same way. It was funny, for them not actually being related, how much of a family they'd become.

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah. I think I am."

Harry popped in the first tape, and then the second, then the third. It was on the fourth, the final one, that Harry stood and crossed the room. The box of things had been moved to the kitchen table, and he beckoned to Hermione, who joined him there. Together they silently went through the things again, remembering their dear friends and how much time had passed since they had died, so valiantly. It was when Harry picked up the camera that he felt something rather odd about it.

"Hermione..."

"Hmm?"

"This camera feels... it feels a little heavy. Don't you think? For one of these."

She took it from him, turning it over. "I suppose it does. Is it the battery?" She checked the compartment, but there was no battery attached. It was the second compartment she checked, that revealed something different. The space where tapes went was not as empty - there was a tape in the slot, half wound. She snapped her head up, but Harry's face told her - he knew, as soon as she'd taken just the slightest gasp.

"Harry, Harry there's another tape in here... how could we have missed this... it's been... it's been a decade..."

He said nothing, could say nothing - only took the tape from Hermione's offering hands, and removed the tape. "It's half done."

"There could be... do you think?"

"Another tape. Another message. Yeah. I do. We assumed the fourth was the last, but... that's just because they made it sound like it was."

"Should we watch it before Teddy sees it?"

"Harry, look at it - look at what it says."

Scrawled on the side label, in black marker, the tape said one thing. _For Teddy._

"Yeah. I guess we're watching it right with him."

The couple joined Teddy in the sitting room just as the fourth tape ended. He hadn't cried, but he did look a little shocked.

"Teddy... any questions?"

"I guess not. I just... it's a lot."

Hermione sat beside him and kissed his full head of teal hair. "I know, love. I know. Are you confused at all?"

"Actually, no... It was weird hearing it from them, on tape or not, but... I understand."

"Good. Teddy, there's... we found another one. I don't know why we didn't think to check the camera before, but there's a fifth tape." Harry offered it to him, label side up. _For Teddy_. His eyes got wide, but he stayed strong.

"Alright."

Harry popped the tape in, and a familiar image filled the screen. Tonks, sitting calmly in front of the camera, looking just a bit scared. Harry heard Lupin clear his throat behind the lens.

_'It's on, Nymphadora.'_

_'Don't call me that, you know I hate that. Teddy... love. I've recorded four of these tapes previously. They were meant for Harry and Hermione - the parents you've hopefully known your whole life - but I'm also hoping that they showed them to you, when you were ready. There's so much to know, and I can feel it - you're kicking me and I know you're strong. The bad news is all over, I think - right love?'_

_'Yeah, that's it.'_

_'So I just... your father and I... we didn't want you to only see us like this. There are good times, too. There was laughter and love and friendship. And sacrifices were made, and more than a few were made for you. But they were made so that you could live, and so that you could laugh and love and make friends too.' Tonks smiled now, and it was perhaps the biggest Harry had ever seen on her. Remus cleared his throat behind the camera again, and Tonks began a list of things dealing with the prophecy and being a metamorphmagus, in case he was. Sooner rather than later, Lupin gave the camera to Tonks, and for once he was grinning._

_'Your mother is better than me at this... that's why she's been talking. But there are some things I know a great deal more about. When we conceived... there was a worry that you'd become a were. Or part were. They weren't entirely sure what might happen... most weres do not mate. They do not produce children, and if they do, the mother or the child frequently does not survive. We were terrified, but resilient - your mother always believed that you would be born, you'd both survive, and you'd be fine. The doctors explained to us the theory of you becoming a full were - which I'm sure Harry and Hermione can tell you all about - or becoming a half were. This is rare, extremely rare. And they're not sure what could happen to you. Being a werewolf, Ted... it's not easy. I used to think it ruined my life. But I think... I think it just made me stronger.' Lupin's gaze moved from his hands to the camera. He smiled again. The camera flipped, and Tonks muttered something about keeping still before they were both sitting side by side in the frame._

_'We love you, son. We do. And we hope you understand why we did what we did - it's best for you, and for everyone else as well. We only wish things could be different. We miss you already. Harry and Hermione will take excellent care of you - and for the both of you, if you're watching... thank you. We're sorry we didn't have time to tell you this in person. It was better this way. It took quite some time to decide who we trusted enough to take care of our baby, and... we hope you're all like a real family. We love you all. Goodbye.'_

It was the final goodbye on the tape that sent Harry into overwhelming sadness. Hermione had already been sniffling and wiping at her eyes, Teddy had been watching in wonder and awe, admiring his parents that he'd never got to know. Harry had to leave the room for fear of making a scene - even though this was his family, he hadn't been like this in front of them, he didn't want to be now. He shut himself in their bedroom and cried for quite some time, knowing that Hermione would know where he went and that she should take some time to talk to Teddy herself.

* * *

"Dad?"

Teddy was standing in the now-open doorway, looking sheepish. Jack had been retrieved by Teddy and Hermione an hour or two ago, and Harry hadn't yet come down to join them. He had been deep in thought until ten minutes ago, and it was as if Teddy, his wonderful godson, had recognized this and given him time to get everything out. Teddy's hair was mousy brown, as Tonks' had been during her bad times, and his eyes were big and dark, lashes long.

"Y-Yes, Ted. Come in. Shut the door."

He did as told, and climbed up on the bed beside Harry, who had sat up and was sitting cross-legged, now like his godson.

"Dad, mum talked to me a bit... she reminded me of the things that happened to you when you were young. And I think... I think we're not really so different. We're a lot alike, really. Both of us lost our parents. And both of us had something big that we didn't know about. The world rested on our shoulders. We were in danger. But mum said something else, too. She said that you were so strong - that you fought through it all. But I don't know if I'm like you, like that."

Harry reached an arm over and pulled his godson into his side. He immediately rested his head on Harry's shoulder, sighing.

"Ted Remus Lupin... I thought the same thing, when I heard about what I had to do - when I heard the prophecy about me. But I think we're a lot more alike in that sense than in almost any other. Teddy, you know what's right, you know what you can do. And you can do anything - you're the only person probably in the entire world who can control his were transformations. You're the only boy I know who can change his appearance so well and yet always return to the boy I've raised since he was a baby. You never change who you are - and that young man I know, that boy - he's strong, and he's got courage and he can fight through anything, like I did."

Teddy nodded against his shoulder, and Harry knew he was crying. His arms went around Harry's middle, and he sighed. "I'm just scared."

"That's natural. That's supposed to happen, and that's good. You'll be careful. You understand the prophecy, then?"

"I don't want to be bad! I want to be good, like you and mum and my birth parents! They were good!"

"They were the best - never faltering. Teddy, if you want to be good, if you are good in your heart - then you will be. There are still old Death Eaters, supporters - that's why you still have to change your appearance. But you're a smart boy. You can tell a lot about people, I know. Just... be safe, Teddy."

"I will, Dad."

"I love you, alright? And I know this has been a big day - for both of us - but I'm starving."

Teddy laughed, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Me too! I wanted a sandwich earlier but mum was talking and the kitchen felt so far away..."

Harry laughed at his godson, who was so much like himself at times, that he could believe it was his own son. Their relationship was better than he could have hoped, and Harry knew after this talk that Teddy was strong enough to handle anything anyone could throw at him - he was, after all, the son of Remus and Tonks - how could he not be?

* * *

"Long day, love?"

The weekend had come and gone, Teddy had asked infinitely more questions about his parents and Hogwarts, and Monday had now passed as well. Harry had a particularly frustrating day with his workload, especially with the telephone malfunctioning twice and losing phone calls. He wanted nothing more than his comfortable bed and a good night's rest - until he looked up at Hermione, and felt his eyes widen.

She wasn't in sexy lingerie or anything terribly revealing, but he always thought she was the most beautiful before bed. She rarely wore makeup to begin with, but now she was completely fresh faced, in plain pink underwear and a white tank top. She was smiling at him from the doorway of their bathroom, her hair a mess of wild curls and volume. He loved her like this, with her hair down and a wicked look on her face.

"The longest. Care to join me, over here?"

"That depends... what am I joining you for?"

"Whatever you'd like, looking like that..."

Hermione rolled her eyes and laughed, sliding into bed next to him. It was witty banter, but it was a normal night, as well. She took his hand and kissed his knuckles, and he kissed her forehead before her lips. She melted into him, pressing every inch of her body towards his, and if he hadn't been so tired, and if she wasn't so tired as well, he knew where this could lead. Instead, she turned over, cuddling into him and pulling his arm over her side and in front of her.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"You're an excellent father."

The unexpected comment touched him - he'd heard her say it before, but hearing her say it after a weekend such as this, meant so much to him that he almost found himself in tears again. He propped himself up on his elbow, leaning over her to kiss her lips again.

"And you're a wonderful mother. I can't imagine our children having a better mother."

"Or a better father."

"And I can't imagine a more perfect woman to spend my life with."

Hermione smiled up at him, raising up to kiss him again. "I can't imagine a better man on this planet. I love you, Harry."

"And I, you, Hermione. Goodnight, love."

"Goodnight."

He settled back in behind her, holding her just close enough for comfort. In that moment, he realized he had more than he'd ever dreamed of. He had a family - the best one anyone could have ever asked for.


	19. Chapter 19

"Mom! Mooooom!"

Two sets of little feet stomp into the house, rousing Harry from his brief nap and causing Hermione to stir beside him. It was her day off, and she'd been enjoying an afternoon nap, Harry had joined her after his work was done for the day. Naturally, they'd only gotten an hours sleep before the boys came home from school.

Harry rolled over, but Hermione was already awake. "I'll go downstairs, Harry. You keep resting. I have a phone call to make anyway..."

She rose and shut the door, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts.

* * *

"Jack, you've got dirt on your nose..." Hermione attempted to clean it off, but the boy just shook his head.

"Yeah, mom. It happens. We had a football match at lunch, against the year five boys... I would have gotten to play against Teddy, but he wouldn't play..."

Teddy kept a straight face, looking away. Hermione was struck as this was an odd thing - Teddy loved football.

"Why not?"

"Some of the boys don't like playing against him because he's too good. Even the year eight boys won't play against him sometimes."

Teddy huffed. "It's because of... who I am." As she watched, his 'school face' - brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin and freckles like his brother - gave way to the real Teddy. Sharper features, the darkest brown eyes she'd seen, and shaggy hair that was, today, a very deep red. "Last time I only got to play because the stage four school was out at the same time we were... I had to play against fourteen year olds to be able to play!"

Hermione chuckled and ruffled his hair, which muted down into a bright ginger when he calmed a little. "Teddy, you run around as a half wolf one or two nights a month. You're extremely fast and very strong. I know you'd rather play with boys your own age, but..." She turned to make sure Jack was distracted with something else, and sat next to Teddy so that only he could hear what she said next. "But doesn't it feel good to be better than boys your age at a few things? When I was at Hogwarts, I was top of my class... and even though I was a bit of a nerd at times... more often than not... I had the bragging rights. And they aren't so bad." She winked, and Teddy grinned.

"Yeah, I guess that's right huh mum? I mean, A few boys who must have been at least in year nine or ten tried to play against me and some friends the other day after school... we only played for ten minutes before they gave up. I was playing half the positions on the field. They couldn't stop me."

Hermione noticed a spot of dirt on his nose and licked her finger to clean it off. He'd probably dove for a ball, or taken a header, or something about the sport she didn't quite understand. "It seems nobody can, Ted. You ready for a surprise?"

As if the wolf in him was listening especially attentively, Teddy's head popped up. His ears would have perked up, if they could. "What kind of surprise?"

"I haven't even told your father... I've been doing a little research. And I found a boy just a half hours drive away. I've spoken to his mother... his father was a were, before he got sick and passed. This boy is full were. I thought... perhaps you'd like to meet him? Play some football?"

Teddy grinned. "A real opponent, huh?"

"And we could find out more about child weres. This could be really good for all of us. Maybe make a few new friends."

At this, Teddy just smiled and hopped off his stool, running into his bedroom. The full moon was coming up, anyway, and it would be good for him to talk to another boy about transformations. He must be awfully lonely in that aspect, none of the other boys were like that. Hermione had another reason to invite the boy for a play date, though. Football was not her main motivation, but the prophecy, and how it related to Teddy being around a full were. If the prophecy were true, Teddy would start fighting his were nature while a full were was around, driving him into darkness. If it weren't true... then Lupin and Tonks didn't die for the reasons they thought they did. They could still be alive, if parts of this weren't true. Hermione had been curious for years, but only recently had gained the courage to try this out. Riding the last bits of that courage, she picked up the phone and dialed the number of the mother of the child. This could get interesting.

* * *

"Ah, Miss Granger... how lovely to meet you! After hearing about your efforts in the war, I must admit it feels a bit like meeting an old war hero, or a celebrity!"

The smaller, darker woman smiled up at Hermione, offering her hand. Hermione shook it, and noticed the woman had a firm grip. Ah, she was a fighter as well. This woman had raised a full were child, she had to be. The boy was standing not more than a few feet behind her, looking a little shy. From a crack in the floorboards behind her, Hermione could tell Teddy was doing about the same thing. Harry would return home from an important meeting in an hour or two, and then the parents could discuss things more thoroughly.

"This is Riju. He's eleven. Dear?"

The darker hair boy stepped forward, smiling. He looked around Hermione to see Teddy, hair a bright shade of green. "You're Teddy? My mum told me a lot about you already. From what your mum said. You like football?"

And with that, the shyness was broken. The boys raced upstairs to Teddy's 'Room', where a large field and a few footballs were already waiting.

"Boys will be boys... or werewolves will be werewolves." Hermione chuckled, inviting the woman farther into the sitting room, where tea was waiting.

"I'm sure you remember what we discussed. The prophecy."

"And of course I won't tell a soul. It's just nice for my son to have someone to play with... he's like Teddy, stronger and faster than the other boys his age. It gets bad."

"I know how that goes... Harry and I have another son, Jack, who goes to school with Teddy. He tells us more than Ted does, he's a little embarrassed about being left out as well."

"And how strange, to have to change his appearance like that."

"I don't think he minds it. He's actually started tweaking his nose a little on Wednesdays, just to see who notices... it's his form of entertainment at school, I suppose." The two women laughed, shaking their heads.

"I wonder... how they're doing. If it's affecting them at all." Riju's mother, Priya, shook her head. "How tragic."

"It is. His parents were two of our best friends, and huge fighters during the war. Members of the order. Their own story was a bit of a complicated love story... and to see it end like that was heart breaking. But we have Teddy, after all of it, and he's a little blessing. Such a ball of energy. Almost always cheerful. Extremely intelligent for his age."

"I remember when Riju was born, we were all so afraid. No one in our family has ever been any different, besides a Squib a few years back... we're all relatively normal. Riju had a hard time making friends, even before he started showing signs of magic. Even as a very young child, when his transformations were small... it was difficult."

Hermione clasped her hands, sighing. Finally, someone who understood. "If you don't mind my asking, Priya, how did Riju become a were? Teddy was born half, but that's just simple math..."

"Riju was bitten. He was only two. A pack of weres decided to wreak a little havoc on our city, in defiance of new restricted laws on weres by the ministry. It wasn't anything serious - just that they'd have to be completely confined, privately or by ministry, during their transformations. Some rebelled. Some attacked citizens... and Riju has been this way since."

"I can't imagine. How terrifying!" At that moment, the door swung open and Harry appeared, smiling.

"You must be our guest then. Lovely to meet you. Hermione, the boys...?"

"Teddy's in his room with Riju. And Jack's... well, doing whatever Jack does. Likely drawing."

"I figured. I'll just go change out of this suit... bit stuffy. I'll meet you both at Teddy's door in a few."

The women nodded, continuing conversation until Hermione heard Harry padding down the upstairs hallway.

* * *

"Hermione."

"Harry. You know why I invited Priya and Riju, I expect."

"What if it's all true? What if it's just this one instance that turns him?"

"They've been playing football for an hour. If he's suddenly gone evil after that, I'm seriously doubting the goodness of magic in general."

Harry nodded, slipping open the door.

It wasn't pure evil, no. But the young parents could easily tell that something was not all right with Teddy. His hair was a deep blue-black, his features sharp, eyes dark. He seemed to grimace, grunting as he swept the ball from the other boy. Teddy, as a football player, was on fire. As a young boy, he seemed to be turning into something Harry and Hermione hadn't seen before. He wasn't full of rage, but some sort of drive and power that bordered on fierce.

Harry took his opportunity, calling to the boy. "Teddy?"

His sons face snapped to him, and in that instant returned to its normal cheerfulness. "Hey, Dad. We're having a really good game in here..."

"Right, well, it's nearly five and the sun's going down in an hour or so. It's time for Riju to go home... I'm sure you both know what night it is."

The boys groaned, giving each other high fives and making plans for another match in coming weeks. The parents all said their farewells, and Hermione showed them the door while Harry talked with Teddy.

"How are you feeling, sport?"

"Really... I don't know. It was weird being around another were. I _felt_ it, dad. I did. And while I could sort out that he was just another boy, like me, and that he's got to have it harder since he's a full were... I mean, I was able to separate the two feelings. Riju's nice. And he's incredibly fast, as fast as me!"

He saw the smile on his boy's face, and saw a change as well - his cheekbones returning to their normal roundness, his eyes lightening to a silvery grey. It was true, then. A full were would affect him. This one was just a child, and just over an hour of football, it had affected Teddy's behavior. No wonder his first few transformations around Harry as a baby had been so strange - he'd spent time with Remus, who was full.

Hermione had been curious as to the truth in the prophecy - and she'd made her point. The prophecy was completely true. There was one problem, then. While Remus and Tonks did not die in vain, the second half of the prophecy was true as well. Teddy was enormously powerful. He could be dangerous, in the wrong hands.

But looking down at the face of this boy in front of him, and hearing Hermione hop up the stairs, followed by a set of footsteps that must surely be Jack's... they'd worry about that another day. Tonight was the full moon, after all, and Teddy would be especially restless after this afternoon.

* * *

She'd had to use the lock. Not once in the history of this upstairs room for Teddy had Hermione even considered using the lock. But this time, it wasn't her choice. Teddy had asked.

When Harry and Hermione had first turned Grimmauld Place into their own home, one of the first things on their list was a room for Teddy to run around in on the full moon. At times, he'd let himself fully transform - but even then, he was like a young puppy, traipsing around in the grass, eating, and napping. Even at his most energetic so far, he'd simply spent the night running laps around the large open field, illuminated by a large magical window that from the outside of the house appeared to be normal size, looking into a closet. From the inside, it was as large as could be, and the magically enlarged room seemed to be opened up into a real natural field, at least a mile's wide. There was a small grove of trees simulating a forest on the other side, and a small pond to the far east. It was Teddy's spot, but he'd never had to fully utilize it until that night.

Harry sensed it immediately. Teddy had been restless since Priya and Riju had left. He'd need to run around a bit that night. He'd been tapping his feet, walking back and forth, and he'd gotten a little snippy with Jack, which almost never happened. Hermione had briefly considered talking to Teddy about locking him in for the night before he'd confronted her himself.

"Mum?"

It was about half an hour before sunset, usually around the time Teddy went upstairs, Hermione sat on the chair outside, and Harry checked on them all.

"Teddy?"

"I know that there's... a lock. On the door. And usually I wouldn't ask, but I've been feeling a little crazy since Riju left. I don't like the feeling. Can we just... try? And I can shout out if I want it unlocked or anything?"

Hermione felt something fall in her chest. Teddy knew he could get out of control. He only knew he wanted to protect his family. "If that's what you want, then yes, of course. It's probably time to head up anyway. I put your dinner upstairs a few minutes ago."

'Dinner' once a month was three steaks, a large bowl of whole, boiled potatoes, and a baked chicken. Though he never usually ate the entire thing, Hermione figured the wolf in him might be hungry after such a day.

"Excellent. I'll just... I'll head upstairs, then. Follow me up? For the lock?"

Hermione nodded, but said nothing. She'd have to tell Harry as soon as he got back from his jog. This hadn't happened in any of their years so far, they hadn't expected it now. She followed Teddy upstairs, laughed with him when he saw his unusually large dinner, and gave him a quick hug before he set off towards the back of the field to await his transformation. She shut the door behind him, catching one last glimpse of him kicking the grass with his toes, and locked it from the outside, keeping the key in her pocket. When Harry returned, she explained the situation to him. In true Harry manner, he pulled a chair up beside hers and waited the next few hours with her, listening to the howling, scampering, and running that was going on in the room beside them.

* * *

It was seven, and the sun was now fully above the horizon. Hermione crept out of their bedroom, key in hand. She'd heard Teddy throughout the night. He'd howled at the moon, he'd gotten aggression out. He'd never been this restless during a full moon. She turned the key in the lock, expecting to find Teddy napping in the field peacefully, as usual. Instead, she found him in tattered clothing, sprawled out behind a tree in the forest, plates empty around him. There were scratches on trees, bits of earth dug up and open. Bones from the chicken were cast aside, and Hermione could spot a deflated football and a torn rope toy a few dozen yards away.

She nudged his shoulder, brushing teal hair back behind his ear. It was a bit longer than usual.

"Teddy... it's morning. Wake up."

And he did, but quite slowly. He was exhausted, there were a few scratches on his arms.

"Mum?"

Only when he turned, and Hermione was able to see how dark his eyes were, did she know how much he'd truly suffered last night.

"Mum, last night was... bad. I almost couldn't control it. I knew the lock was a good idea... but just how good..."

"Are you alright? I checked on you once but just saw you running around..."

"You caught the best of it then. Being around a full werewolf... it was so hard. It was like I was on fire. Does that mean... things about the prophecy are true?"

"It does."

"But it also means... that my parents didn't die for nothing?"

"Teddy, even if the prophecy were untrue, your parents died fighting for good. They were immensely strong, and brave, and right. But no, they did not die for nothing."

"Good. I was worried... what if it weren't all true? What if Dad could still be alive? And my mother, too?"

"That's a worry for another morning. You look as if you've been through a storm."

"I feel it, too. Can we have pancakes for breakfast?"

"Most certainly. Go wake Jack, will you? He was worried. I'll make up some sausages too." She kissed the top of his head and sent him off, only slightly still worried about his dark eyes and his dark night.


	20. Chapter 20

"'Ou know..." Teddy, mouth full of cereal, began. "Riju was kin' of an alrigh' guy. We could be friends..." He took pause to swallow his breakfast, looking at the only mother he'd ever known. Hermione was leaning on the kitchen island opposite him and Jack, who was busy playing with his own food. "...if maybe we didn't play on the day of the full moon."

Hermione considered it - perhaps Teddy's severe reaction to the boy was intensified by the day of the month. "We could try. I'd have to speak with your father first, but... I think he'd agree we could try."

Teddy grinned, taking another messy bite of cereal. Milk dripped down his chin, and it took everything in Hermione not to laugh. Teddy had always been this way - intelligent for his age, a problem solver. But at the same time, he was still a messy young boy. Jack, on the other hand, was complete boy - he played with more food than he ate, though quietly.

"You two should hurry - we have to be out for school in fifteen minutes."

They both nodded, finishing quickly and running upstairs to dress and ready themselves. Harry came padding down the same way soon after, still clad in wrinkled sleeping pants and a t-shirt.

"Morning."

"And to you too, Harry. Sleep well?"

"Not really. Work's been stressing me out... among other things."

"How so?"

"I've got a huge file to work on today - three days worth of work, and I've got one, maybe one and a half. I was so busy managing the team for the Loebecker capture..."

"I can imagine. What else is on your mind?"

He flushed red. Curious, Hermione walked around to where he then sat, patting his shoulder.

"Harry?"

"We've been together ten years, Hermione. A decade."

"Oh. I know that."

"And... as much as you don't want marriage, I do."

"Harry, I thought we'd been over this. We don't need some silly paper and a pair of shiny rings. We love each other... shouldn't that be all we need?"

"It should. It is. But I can't help it, Mione. I've loved you all this time, I'm going to spend my life with you. I just... I want this. So badly." He finally looked her in the eye, and she could feel it - how distraught he was over it. At the same time, she wished he could feel how she did inside - more than a bit nervous, scared, among other things.

"I'm just worried... us getting married will put attention on us. And for Teddy's sake... and Jack's..."

"It isn't just about them, though. Of course they're in our hearts - we have a child together, Hermione. Jack is our own. And Teddy is just as close. But after this long... people get married. Even if there isn't a big wedding, they have a quiet little ceremony and sign a few papers and it's done with."

"Most people. Not all of them."

Harry grunted, laying his forehead on the cool marble. Hermione thought she might never understand his strong desire for marriage. They had a near perfect relationship, a child of their own, then Teddy and the responsibilities that being his parents held. They had the prophecy, as of yet still possible with old Death Eaters still out there. Why was a piece of paper and a title so important? As if he could read her mind, he spoke.

"And what about... what if one of us dies? Neither of us can be beneficiary like this. And what if something happens to Jack, or to Teddy? If something happens to Teddy... I think you forget sometimes, I'm his main guardian. You wouldn't get to be present for anything. And other parents, other couples we've known these ten years... they're all married. They all did normal things."

"Harry, it's just not something I want."

"But I DO. I want it, more than anything."

In that moment, Hermione first seriously considered marrying Harry. Yes, their beginnings had been rough, and they had duties now - but if that was really all he wanted...

"Mum! Ready! And I got ready first, faster than Teddy even!"

Jack ran downstairs, dressed but not as ready as she'd have liked. His teeth were brushed, at least, but his hair was mostly uncombed, and his shirt looked to be on backwards.

"Are you going to fix your shirt?"

As if he didn't know what she was talking about, he glanced down and into the collar - the tag in front.

"Oh." He giggled. "No. I'm still ready. I beat Ted for once!"

"Barely!" Teddy came down quickly, comb still in hand. "And you cheated. Your hair's a mess. And your shirt's on backwards."

"And at least I don't have dog breath..."

"Boys..." Harry warned. There were no wolf jokes made against Teddy. It wasn't very fair.

"Yes, dad." They said it in unison, racing each other out to the car. Hermione glanced at the clock - eight fifteen. They were already running five minutes late.

"We'll talk about this later, Harry... I just..."

He waved her away. "You're late. Don't worry, we'll talk. Have a good day." He rose, kissed her cheek as usual, and watched her leave.

* * *

"Harry, about earlier, I..."

He put his finger to her lips. The boys ran upstairs, bent on racing everywhere today.

"Don't. I shouldn't force you into something you don't want. If you're not comfortable with it... I won't be the one to make you."

She let out a sigh. He almost had her, again. Every time he asked, she wanted to... there were just always things making her shy away from marriage.

"Thank you, love. The boys were a mess in the car and this conversation was not one I wanted to come home to. Harry, I love you - you know that. Everyone does. That's what matters - we're family. We don't need a piece of paper between the two of us, it won't give us anything more than what we have between the four of us, as our family."

"I thought about that today. It's not... we have the boys. That's the best things we could have."

She kissed his forehead, and felt his hand slide over hers. His touch calmed her, always. It had been so since they were children - an arm around each other here or there had turned, in twenty years, to a caress and a smile. So much had changed, and yet so much would always remain the same. They had their love. That was, they thought, all they needed.

* * *

"Boys! Dinner!"

Ten minutes later, there were no boys - just a lot of giggling from upstairs.

"Harry, I'll reheat this... can you find the boys?"

"On my way." He headed upstairs, and after tapping the pan with her wand to reheat, Hermione heard a little disgruntled grumbling on the way down the stairs.

"You won't believe what our children have been up to, up there..."

"What do you mean?"

"They had a bonding moment, brother trouble. They decided to stop by a shop on the way home from school a few days ago... apparently they've been saving up a bit of spare change. And they purchased a... oh, you'll see. Never mind."

Just moments later, two boys came downstairs - with one big difference. Instead of one tall, older boy with teal hair - there were two boys, Jack and Teddy, both with bright turquoise locks. They'd dyed Jack's hair.

"Teddy, Jack..." Hermione could hear herself using the 'mom' voice. She hated having to use that voice.

"Mum... see, Jack wanted..."

"I wanted to be more like Teddy. So we sort of saved up some money..."

"And picked up some dye on the way home the other day..."

Jack smiled and continued. "And now we're both teal."

Teddy raised his hands, which clearly had not been protected by gloves. "I helped. Don't get mad, we just..."

Hermione sighed. "You're just boys. You're bound to get into trouble eventually..."

Harry snorted, whispering into her ear. "At least it was teal, not pink or anything..."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't give them any ideas. Boys, you know you shouldn't have done this... and while I do know a spell... Teal does look pretty good on you, Jack. Ted, you can choose to go teal for school for a few days if you'd like to match, or you can stick with the brown you've been using."

"I think I'll let Jack have the hair. That was sort of the point."

Hermione sighed again, looking at her sons. Trouble was an understatement. But it was good natured, well-meaning trouble that was the hardest to deal with as a parent.

"Just... don't do it again without permission, alright? I could have helped you..."

"We won't." They practically spoke in stereo at times, and her resolve was broken. Besides, dinner was hot again.

"Alright - wash your hands then, Teddy I've got soap and a spell that'll help with the stains. Dinner's on."

* * *

Head of Magical Law. America. Summer. Family covered. It was her dream job - a career she'd worked so hard to one day maybe achieve. Decades of work, or a new chance in a far away land. Foreign transfer. Her head was swimming. Hermione had gone into work that Thursday expecting a normal day - a pile of paperwork, a dozen phone calls, and endless research trying to win her latest case. Instead, she'd opened her office door, on her way out of the office, to find her boss, already waiting there, smiling.

"Hermione... I won't ask you to have a seat in your own office, that's for you."

"Arnold. Please, sit..." She flicked her wand at a little coffee pot, starting a brew. Her boss was in his sixties, head of Magical Law at the Ministry. His position was one she'd hoped to someday acquire - it was her dream.

"I've just gotten word from the minister himself, and from overseas - from the American Ministry."

"I see."

"They're looking for a Head of Law over there - someone young, intelligent, promising. Previously they've had a team of two, both wished to step down in their old age - older than myself, even. They owled us just last night. Kingsley, and myself, immediately thought of you."

"M-me? I'm barely old enough to hold the title I have now."

"It's not age that matters in these situations, but experience and dedication. Magical Law is not a hobby, not after the war - these last ten years have been about braving new fronts, repaving the history of wizarding law.. Rights laws, and others that you personally have passed. I'm content here, with my position - and a move, at this age, is inconvenient."

"Sir, I... I'm honored."

"The position would begin in June, with a full review of their law and recent cases. I trust you could do the work, if you so choose. They'd like to hear back in the next few days, before they hold interviews of their own."

A few days, to choose?

"They'd also like to let you know that your move would be fully covered. Your family and anyone included as a legal beneficiary - by blood, marriage, or adoption - would be covered as well. If anyone else wished to join you, it could be a while before housing and permissions are allowed. Up to a year."

But... Harry. They weren't married. And she hadn't adopted Teddy, she'd only become his guardian by will. Jack was her own, but she couldn't take him from his family for up to a year. She wouldn't dare separate the boys. Adoption was quick, that could go through with proper funds in no time, given their status. But marriage... they'd both recently decided against it.

"I'll... I'll have to think about it. Talk to Harry."

"Ah, yes. Changes may have to be made."

She nodded, and her boss stood and left. She checked her watch - the boys would be home, as would Harry. But what would she tell him? Would she even take it? These were serious sacrifices, but it was her dream career... everything she wanted to be. Without having to wait twenty years for it. She apparated home to find Harry at the counter, reading the paper. Footsteps from upstairs told her that's where the boys were. Harry looked over the top of his paper, smiling. He patted the seat next to him.

"Easy day at work, I hope?"

"Not so much, actually... Harry, there's something I need to talk to you about. I was about to leave this afternoon when Arnold Hower stopped in. The American Ministry is looking for a new Head of Law... they asked Kingsley. He and Arnold both gave me full recommendations."

"That's brilliant! Your dream job, isn't it? How fantastic... we'd have to move, of course, and I suppose they could transfer me to the Auror department there, or just let me continue working from my computer..."

"Harry, you wouldn't be allowed to go - not right away. I'd have to go alone. The move and transfer - and citizenship - would only be approved for myself and legal family members."

"Jack would..."

"I would never dream of separating the two. Harry..."

He looked at her, eyes sad. "It's your dream, Hermione. And how long could it take, anyway?"

"Up to a year."

He started. Gods, that was actually sort of a long time. "I see."

"I haven't made a decision yet... it's such a promising opportunity, but even if I wanted to try and make you and Teddy legal, it wouldn't be fast enough... they want their decision Monday. I'll probably give it to them tomorrow."

Harry nodded, still silent. She could be leaving him, for up to a year. Of course they'd be together after that, but that year was so long...

Hermione kissed his head, promising to come back down after she changed.

* * *

_The next day..._

"Harry?"

She heard nothing. Had he run out for an errand? The boys had gone to Luna's, and we entertained there. She wanted to talk to him privately about her choice regarding the Head of Law opening in America. She saw him poke his head out around a corner, from his office.

"Hi."

"Harry... can we talk? I dropped the boys off."

"Do they know?"

"About the job? No. They're just with Luna and the children for the afternoon..."

"Oh."

He sat down beside her on the couch, but didn't say anything at all.

"Harry, I turned down the job."

He couldn't have jumped any higher. "Oh! Thank gods. I was afraid I was going to lose you, and... I just..."

"I could never leave you - or the boys. I thought about it for no more than ten minutes. I turned it down this morning. Arnold gave me a little raise and told me he was sorry I couldn't take the job - the opportunity..."

She had no time to finish her sentence, as Harry put his hands on either side of her face and kissed her, igniting something in her. This was why she stayed - for her family and for the man she loved more than anything.

The phone rang once, twice. Harry finally pulled himself away from Hermione long enough to answer it. The blissful smile on his face fell.

"Where was he? Alright... how long ago? Have you called the police? And the ministry? We'll be right there..."

He tossed the phone down, throwing his jacket on over a shirt and jeans. "Hermione, we need to go, now. They were in the park... Jack went with Collin to get ice cream. Collin came back screaming - someone's taken Jack. Luna's waiting at the ministry, missing persons..."

Hermione stood, wordlessly, and grabbed Harry's arm. With a sharp pull that was all too familiar, they were jolted to the ministry to start the search for their son.


	21. Chapter 21

"Could you think of anyone that might have a vendetta against you or your family?" The older witch - who looked like one from a fairy tale complete with hooked nose and mole on her chin - did not look at Harry or Hermione while asking. She knew fully well who they were, but to her this was just another day on the job.

"Anyone-.. could... _of course_ I can think of someone, five percent of the entire wizarding population still wants to bloody kill me. Why are we wasting time here?"

The witch sighed, finally making eye contact with Harry. "This is protocol. After this we launch a team of Aurors and such to find your child."

"Don't you think, as head of the Auror department, that I might be able to send my own men out there right now to look? Every minute counts, we're a little more high risk than other cases... not sure if anyone's told you yet but I'm pretty sure whoever kidnapped our son thinks it's the child of Remus and Nymphadora Lupin, and wants to take over the world with him."

"I was not informed. Still, there is protocol..."

Harry sighed, wishing Hermione were beside him. Upon arriving at the ministry, the pair had found Luna and the children - and one half-transformed Teddy. He was full of rage, screaming out that he could smell his brother, he needed to find him, to follow the traces. They'd had to confine him. His shirt was in tatters by the time they allowed him out, and Hermione only had time to tell Harry to call her when they found anything out before she flooed Teddy home immediately. They'd put him in his room until he calmed down, and then perhaps he could be a lot of help. Instead, Harry sat in this tiny, dark, dingy office alone. Harry doubted this woman was ever more cheerful - her career consisted of interviewing people whose children had been kidnapped, then typing it all into a little muggle computer.

Twenty minutes later, Harry emerged breathless and wild. Jack was out there somewhere. An old Death Eater could have his son - and Harry knew all too well what they could do to a person. Any number of pureblood elitists had probably heard of the prophecy at this point, and would probably do whatever it took to get Teddy on their side... except they didn't have Teddy. A mix up with hair dye had lead them to believe that Jack was Teddy. He'd just wanted to be like his brother...

* * *

" _Please_ mum! I know he's out there, I can smell him! It's... I can't control this, I need to find him. _Jack!_ "

His voice was slightly muffled through the thick oak door that separated Teddy and his room from Hermione. It was devastating, having to do this to this child again, but his reaction to Jack having gone missing was unlike anything she could have imagined. When they'd originally opened the door to his confinement area at the ministry building, his eyes were bloodshot and his hands more resembled claws than boyish fingers. There were patches of matted fur already on his shoulders and legs, and more sprouting on the backs of his hands. Hermione knew only one thing - it wasn't safe for anyone involved to have Teddy like this. She told Harry to call her and immediately dragged Teddy with her into a floo. They were home in seconds, and in a final moment of clarity, he bolted for his room. Even in rage, he was most afraid of hurting someone.

That mindset, however, had changed. Teddy was now screaming, begging to be let out. But if she let him, he could run off and disappear. A special transparency charm in the door allowed Hermione to see that he was almost fully transformed - which explained the gruff voice. She'd never seen him so far transformed, even when he couldn't control it as a baby. It was clearly frightening to them both. Teddy, now, wanted to be out - he wanted to run and search for his brother, despite looking like a werewolf in Leeds in the middle of the afternoon.

"You and I both know that can't happen, Ted... I'd love to, but you're a ball of fur with anger issues." She could hear him trying to stifle a laugh under his growling. Maybe that was the best way to try and appeal to him - a bit of humor. "You'd take out everyone else in town trying to find him. I can't imagine you knocking aside the elderly couple across the way..."

"The Rosens? I couldn't... they're so... ugh! I just want out!"

"Not happening."

"Fine, can you at least please bring me something to eat? I'm starving. I could eat three meals, right now."

"I think we've got some steaks and things frozen up. I'll get something together. Don't try anything funny while I'm downstairs, alright?"

Only once she is downstairs and has prepared lunch that Hermione thinks Teddy's desire isn't so easy to deny. He has a sense of smell like no other. He's an amazing hunter, she'd seen him find people before. He was quick, usually quiet, and dead accurate. And there was an invisibility charm, though rather complicated, that would conceal his furry little problem. She smiled. Like his father, in too many ways.

She knocked on the door gently, letting herself into his play space. She found Teddy just a few yards away, scratching at the space behind one of his ears.

"Oh, thank goodness. Thank you, mum, I was starving... and you brought extras."

She did - through extras seemed to large a portion for any normal living being she knew, the four steaks, small bag of whole boiled potatoes, whole chicken, and gallon of water seemed to be just barely enough for the ravenous young half-were before her.

"I've got an idea - we'd have to ask Harry first, naturally, but I think he might be willing, with a little effort. We could use an invisibility charm on you. You'd have to stay almost completely silent. We could allow you to follow Jack's scent, see if you could pick up a decent trail."

"That's more than I could have hoped for. Will Dad be home soon?"

"I have no idea, they're still questioning him at the Ministry, I bet... especially in a high-risk situation like a kidnapping, the ministry spends a lot of time on questions and details..."

"Instead of looking? What a load of good _questions_ are doing right now."

Hermione, in spite of the situation, smiled slightly. Teddy didn't notice, he was still preoccupied with the space behind his ear, but she couldn't help but admire the similarities between the boy and Harry, as well. He'd always seemed so much like Lupin, because of the were bit and because of his mannerisms. But in his will to fight, his dedication to protect his brother, who he loved more than anything... he was remarkably like Harry.

"Yes, well, we have no objections. They do know a lot. I'll try phoning your father, see what he knows and what they've got him up to. I'll be back in just a minute, alright? Just down the hall."

After a quick conversation with Harry, it was decided that Hermione's plan would go into action that very afternoon. Harry had only to dispatch a few of his men to start the hunt while he headed home and collected Hermione and Teddy. They agreed to meet a team of Harry's best men at six o'clock sharp, at the park where Teddy went missing. He was home in moments, filling in Teddy on exactly what he'd have to do. Despite his steady voice and authoritative, clear tone in directing all of those involved, Hermione could sense that Harry was slowly falling apart. Their son was missing - Hermione was a mess herself, weeping frequently when she thought no one might see. This was no time for weakness - it was a time to be quick and thorough, to hope to recover their last son and the most tangible link between them. She tapped Harry's shoulder as he finished a short order to the last of his men.

"You look like you could use two minutes alone."

"Not alone, 'Mione. I need you. Can we just... hide for a minute?"

"We can. Teddy's in his room, pacing out and getting ready. Trying to calm down, himself."

They turned the corner and Harry immediately pulled her into him, burying his face in her hair. He was crying, that was plain enough, but he took great heaving breaths that reminded Hermione of times she'd seen him suffering before. She didn't wish to relive any of them, but what could she do or say in this situation that might make him feel any better? She thought something up on the spot, hoping it might be good enough.

"Harry... we will find him. Safe. We will. Your best man can track down any person on this earth, and with Teddy's sense of smell... it's just a matter of time. Right?"

Harry nodded slightly, taking deep breaths to calm himself. "It's just... I'm at the head of all this, and while I've been in charge of countless missions before... I've failed a few. And on those, we get the option to try again, move and reconsider. Here there is no second choice. If I fail this mission... I lose our son."

"Then you'll have to not fail. Let's move." Harry hugged her closely once more and Hermione vaguely got the feeling that she said just enough. Harry, in these situations, was usually the strongest and most dedicated. Hermione was the brains. But perhaps this time, she'd have to be stronger for the both of them. She felt weak already.

* * *

Ten, fifteen, twenty, forty blocks later, the sound coming from somewhere in front of Hermione's feet is becoming softer. Teddy is losing the scent, and his whimpers are fading away with his hopes of saving his brother.

"We should head home. There's nothing left to follow, is there?"

From the sidewalk below comes a whisper. "No."

The three and their two guards walk the distance back to Grimmauld Place. Though it was a long distance, Teddy would prefer to see if he can sense the scent leading elsewhere. They're at the front stoop and he hasn't found a thing. They'd tried around the park where Jack disappeared from, near the school where the boys went, but there was nothing. The scent lingered only slightly on a path, then ended abruptly. The group mused over the reasoning - could they have apparated away? Jack was much too small to be apparating, it could hurt him. Could they have been picked up? Covered the scent? It was impossible to tell. Another day would bring another search, but before that they'd rest and try to learn what they could.

The group was in for more of a discovery than they bargained for. Sitting trapped in their mail slot was a faded parchment envelope. Harry rushed for it, knowing his mail never stayed that way, and opened it as the group entered. He covered his mouth, eyes wet with tears, before waving Hermione over. She took the letter from him immediately, letting him slump down into a chair.

In the upper left corner was a crudely drawn sketch of the Dark Mark. Not that it surprised her, anyway - she'd had a feeling that the remaining handful of ill-wishers would be behind this. The scratchy writing began slowly, as if the writer were continuing carefully forward.

_We have the boy. He refuses to transform for us, even though we know he can by the colour of his hair. We know of the prophecy, but do not know it's full contents. Reveal them to us when the opportunity presents itself, or the child dies._

There was only a large X where a signature should be, but it was the smudge on the bottom edge of the paper that made Hermione cover her mouth as Harry had done to his.

Deep brownish red. Somewhat shiny just along the edges. She'd seen this all too often before - blood.


	22. Chapter 22

"We've tracked it - the parchment last saw air in a small house a few blocks north of yours. It was a rental, whoever it was is already on the move."

Harry had recruited the man who had trained him, named William, and half of his own men at this point, but it was his own mentor that had proven most useful. A handful of good Aurors could defeat anyone, but it was the tracking and careful, minuscule details that Harry was too fraught to deal with himself. He nodded glumly. Jack had been missing three days now, and there was nothing they could do but keep looking. Whoever had taken him still thought they had Teddy, and had instead kidnapped a mostly normal boy with a bit of hair colour in. Harry didn't want to think about what they could be doing, trying to get Jack to transform, something he could not do...

"Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"I said there's one more thing we can try. It's a bit tricky and would require Wizengamot approval..."

"No worries there then. I'll owl them immediately... what's the option?"

"Perhaps not something that would make you feel any safer, really." William wrought his hands, not looking at Harry directly.

Before Harry could hear the newest idea, an average sized, midnight black owl rapped on the window. It was holding a letter in an envelope not unlike the first they'd received from the kidnappers. Harry seized it immediately, telling the owl to wait for a reply. The letter said only that time was up, that they had better make a move 'or else'. Harry penned back without having to think about it.

_We'll do whatever it takes for our son. You know you have the wrong boy at this point, he could have shrunken himself down and escaped but he hasn't, because that's not Teddy. You've kidnapped our son Jack and you'd better hear me, we will find you if it's the last thing we do. And I'll take care of you like I took care of your Dark Lord._

_-H_

"The idea. What was it?"

"It's a little far-fetched. And could only make the situation worse..."

"I need my son. I need to know he's safe. Tell me!"

"Fine... fine..." The older man suddenly looked more weathered, too old for his years. "There's a man an hour out... he keeps a Vampire."

"What's that got to do with it?"

"He's trained him to... to track blood."

"Then we give him the paper, right? He tastes or smells a little and... what? We find Jack?"

"It's not that simple. It could be very difficult to find him, and if the Vampire hasn't been fed recently enough, and frequently enough... he could thirst for Jack's blood. He could become a dangerous part of this mission."

Harry let out a breath. "As much as I don't want to have to put any more risks on Jack... what other choices do I have right now?"

"This is true. I'll assemble a full team of your Aurors to accompany me, in case the Vampire gets out of hand."

"Thank you. I can't thank you enough."

William left, calling men as he walked. He would be back by nightfall.

The owl was back - the reply was short. Hermione got to it first.

"It says... it... oh god Harry, they want us to _make a trade_. One child for the other."

Teddy, who had been unusually silent and occupied in the corner, was startled by this message. His eyes went wide.

"Yes, yes, I'll do it! Mum, Dad, please, I can't stand Jack being out there..."

Harry ran his hand through his hair, standing so quickly the chair slid out behind him. "Ted, are you mad? I'd never in a million years let you do that. I can't risk one child for another... that's wrong."

"I have to help him dad, I have to save him."

"Ted, we _will_ save your brother, I promise you that. But we are _not_ going to do it this way."

"But..."

"No! Not in a millions years, Ted, no! And as your father and head of this household, I forbid you from asking again. It will not happen."

Teddy hung his head, clearly in understanding of the situation and its severity. Though he was young, perhaps he did understand why his sacrifice was so quickly overturned. Harry grabbed a pen and parchment, replying that it would not happen that way.

* * *

With Harry gone to listen in on a report from William, Hermione took the opportunity to bathe and change. She hadn't showered in two days, hadn't gone into work, couldn't sleep. A hot bath should have helped, but only left her feeling restless. She couldn't possibly feel like bathing and relaxing when her son was so far away? After a quick once-over with bar soap and shampoo, Hermione towel-dried her hair and skin and dressed in her most comfortable sweats and tank. It was a warm night, almost uncomfortably so. And it only made her feel more uneasy. She knew what else she had to do while Harry was away, and she wasn't proud of it.

Her phone was right where she left it on the sink, and the number she was calling she'd known by heart for over a decade. She punched it in and waited, redialing when it went through to voicemail. Her intended picked up on the second ring.

"You'd think I wouldn't care so much about answering the phone from an ex, but I do."

She could hear his smile, even through the phone. She could also hear that he'd been sleeping. "Ron."

"Hey, 'Mione. How's it?"

"Not well. I'm assuming you've heard about Jack?"

Ron gave her his confirmation, and she immediately began unloading her worries on him. In the past decade, time had healed almost everything between them. Almost. There were still a few loose ends, a few bickering moments, but the trio were all still friends, in the end. Ron had moved closer to his family, and was going back to school to study magical medicine. Who would have thought Ron a Healer?

When she finished, Hermione let out a breath. "And on top of it all, Harry is still on my back about marriage."

"And I'm assuming he knows why you refuse?"

"Sort of..."

"Hermione! It's been a decade! We really should have taken care of this already..."

"I wish it hadn't happened."

"I do too. Sort of. It seemed... right at the time."

"I know. I just don't want him to find out otherwise. And we will take care of it, this week. Expedite it if you can."

"Not a problem. I have friends in the same places you do."

"Exactly. I'd like to have this taken care of by the end of the week, I know he's going to be awfully mad that I never told him, but I think he'd understand a bit..."

"Perhaps."

"Thanks, Ron. For talking. I've got to go... Harry's coming home soon."

"Always Harry, eh? Knew he'd win you over in the end... just a matter of time..."

"Ronald..."

"Yeah, yeah. No problem. Any time. Take care."

She told Ron goodbye and then went to her cabinet, to the only locked place she had in the house. This was not unlockable by magic, only by a small key she kept hidden in a jar in a cupboard. It had only one item in its contents, but it was the one thing she really hoped would just disappear forever.

A small, creased, aged piece of legal parchment sat on the shelf. It had fancy corners, neat calligraphy, and a big title. A really, really big title, actually.

It was a marriage license. And she couldn't feel more embarrassed as she did when she looked at it. She and Ron had only been sixteen at the time. It was the summer before their hunt for horcruxes, before everything went so terribly wrong. They were in love, they both thought so, and thought they'd end up married. They hadn't counted on anything that had actually happened. They forged their parents signatures, and in Hermione's one really big, really stupid move of her adolescent life, she'd married Ron Weasley. It had taken six minutes to finalize, and it would take a full hasty week to undo.

They were lucky, really, that they hadn't met in front of a minister or anything. Because of that, they had a license, but not a certificate. Not an actual, binding contract. Wizarding marriages were funny like that, they were quite a bit harder to get out of - irreconcilable differences did not cut it. It took actual hate or betrayal to end one of those - not that they couldn't have gotten off on that, a few years later. But they'd been poor, and alone, and hadn't told a soul. They were afraid for each other and for themselves. The only thing they'd have to do would be to meet with an official, get the license revoked, and call it a day. Appointments were sometimes hard to come by with any ministry notaries, but as they said, friends in the right places...

It completely explained why she hadn't married Harry. At first, she was afraid he'd be mad and wouldn't want to be with her. Then, she was worried he would be disgusted, since they were fighting with Ron. Later, she was mortified to realize it had been six years and she hadn't told him, and what would he think of her for hiding it then? They'd had one child together and fostered another, and the whole time she was halfway to marrying Ron Weasley...

* * *

"So what have they found?"

Hermione had tucked the paper into the pocket of her sweats and was meeting Harry downstairs. He looked distraught.

"It was dragon's blood - fake. To scare us. I wouldn't have known it otherwise, but the Vampire took one taste and chased it for a bit before telling William it was too metallic to be human blood. I mean, I'm glad it's not from Jack, but him getting a papercut or a scrape would actually be really helpful right now..."

"Oh, god. I was hoping that would help us..."

"I was too. This is... we're lost. All over again."

Hermione shook her head. "It's awful. I miss him so much."

"I do too. That silly little grin."

There was a moment's silence before Hermione let out a sigh. It was time.

"Harry, there's something we should talk about."

"Is it important?"

"Extremely."

"Let's hear it, then."

"I should show you something. But before I do, you should know that it never went any further than this, and that it is being remedied as we speak."

Harry finally turned to face her, giving her a curious glance. "And?"

She slipped the paper from her pocket and handed it to him, first taking a deep breath and praying that this was the right choice. When Harry saw it, he visibly deflated.

"Oh. _Oh._ This does explain a lot..."

He was still barely muttering, and had not looked up at her yet. She was afraid, waiting for the worst. She'd essentially lied to him for years.

"This is why you won't marry me."

"That's 99% of the reason, yes."

"And the other percent?"

"That's just me being me... never one to make permanent decisions."

"You've never been one for big choices. Except for this, apparently..."

"Honestly Harry, I'm not going to say it was a mistake."

"Bloody well should, you're practically still engaged to Ron."

"It's not like that, Harry. We didn't do anything traditional or official. We were... young and foolish. I was under a lot of pressure, about to take my parents memories, set off on this journey with the both of you. We were scared, too. I loved him. I did. And he loved me. But that was in the past."

"A decade in the past - a decade to take care of this. So why not?"

"You know what happened. We fell out of touch. You and I started seeing each other, caring for Teddy. There was no way to get a hold of him, when we began. And then after, we didn't speak for a while, we were both so angry with him."

"You've spoken to him recently?"

"Today. I just called him. We speak sometimes."

"I speak to him too... no wonder he's never mentioned this. I'd have reached through the phone and throttled him."

"You're angry."

"Of course I'm bloody angry! The mother of my child, my best friend, the love of my life... has a standing marriage license with another man. And has refused to marry me, to really be mine, because of it. You realize how this looks, don't you? Like you haven't given up on him. Like you still... like you still want to be his..."

"Harry that's not true! You know it's not!"

"I'm just so... disappointed, Hermione." The word made her cringe. "But worse is the fact that this is so easily taken care of and you never did! Why?"

"I felt bad about leaving him, ending it after the war, after his loss, I didn't want to throw that at him too..."

"How do I know any of this is true? How do I know?"

"Because where have I been for the last decade?"

"Here..."

"Exactly. And Harry Potter, if you know one thing about me it's that if I want to do something, I do it! I do what I want, what I feel is right, because I wouldn't have it any other way. If I'd have wanted to be with Ron all these years, I'd be with him. I'd have left with him the night she showed up at our safe house. I'd have left. But I stayed with you, and he got the message, and I was hoping you did too!"

Hermione turned away, face in her hands. How could Harry even think...

"Hermione, I'm... I'm sorry. You're... you're probably definitely right. I don't know... you can't expect me to just laugh this off. This is something you've hidden from me for most of our adult lives. It was a childish mistake, and if you'd have told me earlier, we could have taken care of it earlier. Now it's ten years later and we've got a child between us - technically two - and right now we need to focus on finding Jack. Take care of this when you can - I'm sure you know people. It shouldn't be intensive. And when you're done with that... in a week or two... we'll talk more when we have Jack back."

Hermione could hear him choking back tears. He was upset with her, yes, but given the circumstances he couldn't stay mad. This was their child that was missing, and whatever stupid mistake she'd made as a child wasn't going to affect them now, not anywhere close to this.

"Thank you... Harry, I love you so much and I couldn't bear the idea of losing you over this... we'll find Jack. We have to. I'm going to go check on Teddy."

Harry watched her climb the stairs with a mix of feelings in his heart. It explained so much - and somewhere deep, he could understand her reasons for not telling him. But that didn't do much for the hurt and disappointment he felt. She had been so sure she'd be with Ron, and then had just changed her mind... and hadn't ended things, not officially. Why? It bothered him endlessly, but he shook it from his mind. This was Hermione - she was his, she'd said it herself. She was his other half - his better half. And nothing could change that. They'd find their son and bring him home, safe and happy. And one day - after all of this was behind them - he'd marry her in front of everyone they'd ever known and make it more official than anything she'd done in her past. He loved her enough to be patient, but knowing that this future between them was now a little more attainable, he couldn't help but smile.


	23. Chapter 23

"Harry, can you get that? I forgot I locked it earlier..."

An owl was tapping at the window with his talons, looking irritated. Harry smiled a weak sort of smile. She'd locked it because she wasn't feeling insecure, even with Harry's own team of Auror's surrounding the house.

"Course... let's see what this is about."

All communications - even Owl Post - were being filtered through the ministry. An official and an Auror were personally reading and analyzing each bit of mail or post that came through to their home, looking for any clues as to where Jack might have been taken. Harry flipped the lock and took the parchment from the small grey owl, slipping the tie off the end and resuming his seat on the couch.

_Harry - urgent news. Boy with blue hair spotted seven blocks North of your home. A man in a full hooded cloak appeared to be leading him in a loop throughout the square. A shop owner, also a wizard, knew about the disappearance from us and phoned us as soon as he saw them. Penn's Pens is on the South-Eastern corner. We'll meet you there._

Harry jumped from his seat and shouted to Hermione to grab her keys and Teddy.

"They've seen him! He's gone now but they saw him, just a few blocks away! Hurry!"

* * *

"Harry Potter! In my own shop!"

The last decade (or two) had been full of this, but never had Harry liked it less than today.

"Yes, yes I am... Mr. Penn, they owled us to tell us you saw our boy. Jack."

"I did! Just this morning, blue hair like that one's." He pointed at Teddy in an alarmed sort of way. "Same exact color. And I remembered a nice Auror coming through just last week with a picture... I knew it was him. There was a man behind him, not much taller than you, bit heavier though, full cloak and hood. All black. I saw his wand in his hand, bloody idiot walking around with it in midday like that... and he walked him around the square twice. I ran out and called to him, but they apparated. Dangerous..."

Hermione was heard from the back of the crowd, gasping. "He's just a child! He could have gotten seriously injured, you can't apparate with a child that young!"

"I know, I tried telling him miss, but they were gone already. I phoned the ministry at once."

Harry brought his hand to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was a start - but not much of one. "Did you see them when they first got in? Was there a specific place they walked out of? And where did they apparate away from?"

The older wizard told Harry everything he knew, but everyone present knew that it wasn't enough. There wasn't really any more of a lead than they'd had before, other than height. Hermione, from the back of the room, tried to shout over the two dozen people present.

"Excuse me! My child, by the way, but I've got a question... don't know how all of you missed it."

It was the only moment Harry would smile. Leave it to Hermione, bossy and intelligent as usual.

"Mr. Penn... you said the man's wand was out. Did you pay any attention to it?"

The older man blinked twice, and his face changed. A small sort of smile grew there too. "Yes! Yes, I remember it looking rather like a cross between my favorite quill and the wand my first grandson just got for school... elm, I believe, and rather swishy. About as long as his forearm, and if he's just a bit taller than Mr. Potter, I'd estimate a good twelve inches!"

"Do you remember what hand he held it in?"

"His left. I specifically remember because his left side was facing me, wand in hand, and his right was on the boy's shoulder."

Harry grimaced. This monster had laid a hand on his son, and it didn't sit right with him... but Hermione's questions had revealed so much more. The man was a bit taller than Harry - likely a bit over 175 centimetres, 78 kilos, left handed, long swishy wand. That was loads more than they'd known at the beginning! Harry leaned over and planted a chaste kiss on her forehead, then returned to the business at hand.

"He did come out of that store there-" The wizard pointed to a shop just across the way. "And disapparated from a spot just between those two buildings."

The team of Aurors, along with Harry and Hermione, turned to the door. Each person in turn thanked the man for his information, none more than Harry and Hermione themselves, and Teddy too. Teddy seemed to tense up when they reached the building in question.

"I can smell him - even now. I know he was here. Recently."

"Yes, he was... I wish we had an actual trail to follow..."

"Me too. I could find my brother then, I could find him myself! Instead I can't do anything..."

Hermione put her arm around Teddy's shoulders. "Hush, Teddy... you know that's not true. You've already helped. Your instincts are the strongest of the bunch, and you just confirmed what we just heard, didn't you?"

Teddy looked up at her, tears in his eyes. "I suppose..."

"And that's more than Harry or I could have done."

"Yeah..."

"See, then?" Harry put his arm around Teddy too, joining in. "You've done loads. And we know a lot more now."

Teddy wiped his eyes, leaning into the only mother he could remember having. "Thanks."

Harry spoke in low tones the rest of the walk home. "Course, Ted. And when we find your brother, we're all going on a trip for a while, to celebrate, and to make sure we're safe... and you should probably get to help us pick where we go, for all your help..."

Hermione looked at Harry over Teddy's head and smiled. Though Harry wasn't always great in stressful situations, he always knew just what to say. And even though he was frustrated with her beyond the heavens, she knew he'd know what to say when that was over too. It was just one of the many things she'd learned to love about him, after all these years.

* * *

"It really does seem like the ministry is doing almost all they can... but it's not enough."

Hermione shifted the phone to her other ear. She'd been on the phone with Ron for almost an hour now, talking about the most recent developments in Jack's case and other daily bits. But it wasn't why she'd called him in the first place...

"Got to be tough. I can't imagine... I'm crossing my fingers for the both of you, you know that."

"I do. I think... you should call Harry. I think he'd really like to hear from you. You both don't talk enough."

"I know. It's just... it's tough. We didn't speak for quite a few years there, Hermione."

"I'm aware. I was there."

"With Harry, yeah..."

"Don't you start now."

"I'm not, just pulling your leg. Speaking of... I phoned Kingsley, he gave me a number of someone who could help us. Barnabus something, quick lawyer. Could have it taken care of in less than a month."

"I'd like that. You're a great friend, Ron, but I don't want to be half-married to you anymore."

"Or I to you. For the same reasons."

The two shared an awkward chuckle, and then a few seconds of silence followed before Ron cleared his throat.

"Do you ever think of what it could have been like?"

"What, us?"

"Yeah. If you and I had ever really had a chance."

"We did, once. We really did. But then the war happened, and Remus and Tonks..."

"I know. I know. And I'm not saying they shouldn't have made you guardian - you're clearly probably the best for the job - but it makes me wonder if things would have been different between us, if we could have reconnected, if you wouldn't have been in charge of raising a child with my best friend."

Hermione had never really thought of it that way. It wasn't like Teddy had been the final ending, but caring for him with Harry had been, in a few ways, the reason she hadn't been waiting for Ron until he had come back. He had left, and she'd been given a responsibility, a whole new life. What if she hadn't?

Hermione turned her head and saw a family picture on the wall, and all doubts were erased immediately. It was of the four of them on holiday a few summers previous, one of their first real vacations together. They'd gone to France for a week, stayed near the coast. Jack had his arms wrapped around Hermione's leg, and he was pouting and looking shy. Harry had his arm close around Hermione's waist, pulling her in. His other arm was full of Jack, five years old and silly as ever. His hair was nearly strawberry blonde and sticking up in every direction. At that age, he'd known nothing about the prophecy, little about his birth parents. He'd been so innocent, and though he was still a child, he'd endured so much. He was so strong because of his blood, but also because of who raised him. They were a family now, and she wouldn't have traded a single day for the entire world.

"Maybe. But I was trusted with him, as was Harry. As much as I wondered, in the early years, what it could have been like... it changed things. Probably for the better."

"Yeah, guess you're right. Always have been." His teasing tone was apparent on the phone, and she smiled again. Even if she and Ron had had issues in the past, they could slowly try and be friends again - perhaps she could get him to play nice with Harry, too.

"Mhmm. Now, if you don't want to call the lawyer, I could. I've got a free hour or two, Harry's doing a little work in the office. You've already done more work than I thought you would..."

"Hey, hey. Alright. Ready?"

She penned down the number he told her and thanked him.

"That's it, 'Mione. It's sad, in a sort of way. What we had then was so... we just thought we knew so much."

"We never could have anticipated what actually happened, Ron."

"No, guess not. But it's like we're finally, I don't know, killing whatever dream we had. I know I sort of killed it when I left, but... it was sort of nice. Having it there. A reminder."

"Ron Weasley, if you ever need a reminder of those times, I'm sure you've got plenty of memories. Remember when we had that picnic that summer, out on the hills behind the Burrow? And Gin overshot the Quaffle and it landed right in the middle of the blanket?"

"And the time we were trying to cook for everyone, only you burned all the pies and I couldn't stop them from smoking!"

Their laugh this time was not restrained or awkward - just happy. They'd shared a lot of good memories together, and a lot of bad ones too - an image of Ron, soaked in rain in the doorway of their safe house, came to mind. But one more glance at the photo on the wall proved it all to her again. This was where she was meant to be.

"Take care, Ronald. I'll phone you when I need to."

"You too. Tell Harry I say... tell him I say hello. And to call me, whenever he has time."

Hermione smiled. It was progress. "I will. Bye."

Ron said his farewell and hung up his end of the line. Hermione immediately dialed the number of the lawyer, pacing the room.

"Mr. Barnabus? I was given your number by way of the Minister... yes, hello. I've got something I need taken care of in a very, very urgent matter."

"Yes, I need a marriage license cancelled, revoked, whatever it is."

"It's a bit old, actually..."

"No, it's not from Harry Potter."

"It's about a decade old. From Mister Ron Weasley."

The wizard expressed his surprise, and Hermione laughed.

"Yes, now you see why I need it taken care of. I'm with Harry, have been almost nine years..."

"No, we're not... we're not getting married yet. Any time soon. I'm not sure, that's sort of a different case. Mhmm. Yes, I can come in Thursday. I'll phone Ron, he should be able to as well. How long will it take?"

"Perfect. The sooner the better. Thanks." She hung up, and felt a sigh of relief escape her. One week from Thursday, this would all be over. And she'd be able to figure out exactly what the future held for herself and Harry. As if he knew what she was thinking, there was a knock on the bedroom doorframe, and she turned to see Harry, grinning.

"Just put Teddy to bed. Easiest night so far, he didn't start crying again... I talked to him about Jack. How we'll find him, somehow. He's starting to believe it now, he's more optimistic."

"And are you, Harry?"

"I am. I'll find our son, Hermione... whatever it takes."

"And I as well. I just got off the phone... that thing we talked about. It'll be done a week from Thursday."

Harry's smile only partially fell. "Good. Is Ron...?"

"He's fine. We laughed it off. Almost forgot we had it, for a while. He says... he says hello. And to call him when you have time."

Harry nodded. "Perhaps I will. I do sometimes miss his humor." He smiled again, then stepped towards Hermione.

"But I don't want to think about Ron right now... or any other Weasley, for that matter."

"Oh?"

"No. I just want to think about you... and how amazed I am with you. Those questions you asked earlier? Brilliant. I never would have thought of that. Clouded mind and all. But you think of everything. You're amazing, Hermione... always have been."

She could feel herself flushing... no matter how many times Harry complimented her, no matter how many times he told her he was lucky to have her, she knew he still meant it one hundred percent. It never stopped making her remember every reason she'd fallen in love with him.

"I try. Now, I'd like to lay down with my husband, and relax..."

"Among other things?" Harry raised a brow, causing Hermione to roll her eyes.

"If you're really, really lucky..."

Harry play-tackled her to the bed, resting on top of her lightly so as not to crush her. Hermione, in a fit of giggles, stared up at him.

"I am. Every day..." He kissed her then, and all was lost - at least, for a while.


	24. Chapter 24

_Jugson? No, he'd never had the guts, even in the Department of Mysteries. The Carrows, maybe, they'd been lying low lately and this would be just like them. Macnair, Mulciber... it could be anyone that survived. Any number of them..._

"Harry?"

He turned around quickly to see Hermione leaning against the frame of the door to his office, a smile on her face. It made him feel only slightly better, if only because she was beginning to adopt a little more optimism regarding the disappearance of their son. Since she'd confessed her prolonged legal connection to Ron, Harry had felt almost... relieved. Perhaps it was odd of him, but he really did believe that the reason she'd kept it secret was because she was afraid of what he would say. Hermione had always been one for doing what she wanted, but not necessarily for having reasons for it. She always went with what made sense at the time. He wanted to be angry - and for a moment, each day, he was - but he had put that in the past just two days after she'd told him the truth, because each day he reminded himself that it could be that exact reason why she'd refused to marry him before. And, of course, that she cared deeply about him. Always that.

"Yeah?"

"Busy?"

"A bit... I've been looking through files, trying to find something we overlooked."

"You've been checking those files for days, Harry."

And indeed he had. It had seemed almost obvious from the beginning that old Death Eaters were behind this, perhaps running under a new name or a new leader. They wouldn't simply scurry away and hide, he had met a few of them personally under awful circumstances, of course, and knew they just weren't that type. He'd began with an older list of all witches and wizards suspected of supporting and aiding Dumbledore in the first war. He removed files from the offices, brought them home, and had sifted through the dead, the disappeared, and the mentally tortured. He'd gone on to the group that had helped bring Voldemort back, and had sorted through another mountain of files there.

He hoped he'd only be left with a dozen, but it ended up being a small pile of forty individual folders. That had happened this morning, four days after he first brought the shrunken files home in a briefcase.

"What else is there to do? Twiddle my thumbs and hope Jack shows up knocking at our door? Fat chance, Hermione. I'm just doing what I can."

"I know. I just... come downstairs. Take a break. You look... Harry, you look awful." The slight grin on her face was the one thing stopping him from being simply irritated. He had to take a deep breath to remind himself she was right. He hadn't showered since the day before yesterday, his hands were covered in papercuts, and he was pretty sure he'd missed deodorant _and_ tooth brushing that morning.

"Fine. Lunch, and a shower. I think I smell."

"You do. Sandwiches okay?"

"Sandwiches sound lovely." He stood, stepped towards her and placing a hand on her hip. Even just looking down into her eyes reminded Harry that Hermione was just as scared as he was - she just didn't have access to the files he did. If she tried to read them, she'd see blank papers. She _couldn't_ do anything more.

A leisurely lunch full of sandwiches and a bit of cold chicken left Harry in much better spirits. After a hot shower, scrubbing at his skin with a sponge and suds, Harry found his mind almost completely off the files. Almost. And as much as he would have loved to have sat around and done nothing, he had a valuable resource on his hands, and he wasn't going to waste any of it. Hermione looked only slightly disappointed when he said he was going back up to the office so soon, but admitted she was happy he at least took a break. On his way upstairs, with Teddy racing ahead of him to shut himself in his room, Hermione called out.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm worried about you. Up there, you've got to be driving yourself mad."

"Perhaps I am."

"Harry, this can't be healthy. The Ministry is doing all it can..."

"Apparently not. They hadn't even touched the files I have now."

"Maybe we can..."

"Hermione, I'm doing what I can. I'm doing more than the Ministry. I'd rather drive myself completely insane than lose him. And if we lose him, I'll go that route anyway." Harry turned away, climbing steps two at a time. The closer he got to the bottom of that pile, the closer they got to finding Jack.

Three hours later there were nine files on the desk before him. Old Death Eaters who had escaped from Azkaban, disappeared after the war, or hadn't been heard from in years. He knew they were alive - files were always charmed to show a death date, if there were one - so he knew they could be out there somewhere. And that one of them possibly had his child. He penned the names down in a note to the minister and sent it on its way.

 _Alecto Carrow_  
Amycus Carrow  
The Malfoys  
Rodolfus Lestrange  
Yaxley  
Walden Macnair  
Thorfinn Rowle 

_These are the seven names I've pulled from files your men haven't touched. Not to say my men thought of them, either. The Carrows were said to have escaped separately and may not be in the same locations anymore. Any number of them could have heard about the prophecy. Any number of them could have my son. They could operating under a new name, under a new leader, anything. If you don't set up a party to question them, I'll do it myself. You've got 24 hours._

Harry would send that letter and wait exactly twenty-four hours before taking things into his own hands. And perhaps it was wrong of him, he knew that, but in his mind he had no other choice.

* * *

"Cameras first. Everywhere. We'll put protective charms over them so they aren't seen by anyone near. They surround the house, I don't want a single inch unwatched, got that?" Harry looked at the five of his Aurors he had gathered in his home, all of their heads bent similarly over his crudely drawn schematics. "The X marks the camera, the arrow specifies which way it will point. I want them all hooked up to that box there," he pointed to a small box marked 'control' just inside the back door, "and we'll wire them into the TVs there and there." He pointed to two more small squares.

Hermione, meanwhile, watched on. What did Harry think cameras would do? They would make them all feel a little more safe, yes, but muggle cameras? Jack had never been spotted that close to his house. She didn't expect a former Death Eater to prance up to their front door, after all. But she understood Harry's motive and kept her mouth shut. He'd been acting odd, recently. Harry always did when he felt like he had to work on something on his own, or like he was the only one who could do anything. Probably all stemming from the Boy-Who-Lived experiences. He _was_ the only one, then, but he wasn't now. She wished he could see that.

She sipped at her morning coffee and looked at the files Harry had spread out. Any of the men in that room would have been able to see the full contents, but she just saw clean, blank paper. It was awful. This was what she was good at! Research, documentation! And she couldn't do a damned thing. Her child had been missing for nearly two weeks. And almost as bad as Harry being a madman was Teddy - he hadn't been to school all week, and the school understood of course, but he was having... not transformations, per se, but he was acting like it. He became a feral, scruffy child, with thicker brows, sharper nails, and little to no ability to speak. He could say a word or two at a time, but...

Was the prophecy coming true? Was there something wrong with how they'd raised him? Was it inevitable, somehow, that he would change, and become a monster after all? There were almost no cases like his, and certainly none with a prophecy. No research, again... she could only do as best as any mother could. Thinking this might be a good time to get breakfast ready, she mixed a huge batch of pancakes, sausages, and potatoes. The men downstairs would be hungry, as would the little man upstairs. She'd never cooked so much in her life.

* * *

Harry and his team had just finished eating and setting up the system when a familiar Patronus burst around a corner.

_Minister arriving now for Harry, grab your broom, got a letter, got the owl._

"And owl! Brilliant, if we tell it to take a letter back to wherever it came from, it'll have to go, we can follow it..." Harry ran out back, flung open the garden shed, and rummaged around until he pulled out his old Firebolt. "Still the fastest broom in the world, I'll race the owl all the way back. Men, I've got a few spare brooms here in the shed - should be enough for each of you. Tarkin, Miles, Green, Applebaum, O'Connor - we've got another mission." Harry was almost grinning. Why hadn't he thought of owls, before? It was genius, really. In that next moment, Kingsley dropped straight out of the sky on his own broomstick, flanked by two other ministry officials. He had a large, smudgy brown owl in a cage that was hanging off the front of his broomstick.

"We can leave as soon as you're ready."

Harry nodded. "Hermione!" He called through the door. She was already stepping out, having heard the booming voice of their friend and minister even over their noisy dishwasher.

"Kingsley has the owl. They got another note... more threats, but we think we can follow the owl back with a note if we send one back. We're flying. I don't know if you'd..."

Hermione was already pulling out her phone, dialing a number. "Luna? Luna it's Hermione... yes, that's all very well, but I need either you or George to apparate into our house immediately. Teddy is upstairs in his room, same as I told you he is. We may have found a way to trace a letter and I need to leave..."

There was a crack in the living room and a shout. Luna was already there. Hermione looked at Harry. "I don't care if I have to fly by myself, we're going."

Harry scooted forward, allowing her room on his broom. Hold tight. This broom has a ton of power." With a nod, Kingsley opened the cage door. The owl shook itself awake, extending its leg for the small bit of parchment and owl treat offered by Kingsley. "Take this back to whoever just sent us that letter."

The owl hooted quietly, annoyed by the journey, but squeezed itself out the door and took off into the sky. Following the owl were nine broomsticks, ten people, all who wanted to find the innocent child. The journey took nearly seven hours, including the two times the owl stopped for water or food. The search party had to wait, thought impatiently, for the owl to resume travel. When they finally came upon the edge of a town far to the North, the owl sailed into the window of a small, half-destroyed house on the edge of a block. Half of the homes here seemed to be crumbling into disrepair, but a number of windows were draped with colorful scarves and linens, and lights shone from inside against the dark. The search party landed and dismounted, leaving their brooms stacked neatly against a brick wall at the end of the lane. Harry walked first, followed by Kingsley and his men, the Aurors, and finally Hermione. Harry knocked twice, to no answer. A moment later they heard the owl inside, screeching, and then a commotion - a chair knocked over, a lamp broken. Harry knocked once more and whoever was inside seemed to freeze.

"Alohomora." The lock didn't move. He looked back at Kingsley in the near silence of the street, at the man nodded. Harry pulled back his sleeves, raised his wand - then seemed to think twice, instead pointing the wand at the hinges. He destroyed them with one wordless command, and with a shake, the door fell forward into the house with a resounding boom, shaking things on the walls in the small entryway and causing an explosion of dust before them. Harry stepped into it cautiously, wand raised, until he saw the glint of two eyes in the corner of the room. With another flick of his wand, he illuminated the lights in the house and saw the man he could barely recognize as Amycus Carrow.

"Knew you lot would turn up 'ventually, they told me so..."

"Where is he? Where's Jack?" Harry was shouting, stepping closer, knocking over already tumbled furniture with his wand fully extended towards the cowering man in the corner of the sitting room. His clothes were in rags, his hair missing in patches and oily. They all wondered why he hadn't disapparated before they came in until they saw his right hand - seemingly glued to the radiator next to him. Even though it was chilly outside, Harry could feel the heat coming off the radiator and saw the redness of his palm. Someone had stuck him here, but why?

"What's happened there, then? Stuck?"

"They stuck me here, yes, to send letters... Just to send them with the owl, and then they give me a little food and leave. Just enough to survive..."

So someone else was in charge. "Who did that? Where are they?"

"Well they don't trust me with that information, do they? Don't think I'm 'worthy'. I'll show them, one day, worthier than the whole lot..."

"You don't know who?"

"I can't tell you. Alecto and I, we were contacted, told we could gain immense power. Told of the prophecy. Weren't told what our positions would be..."

"Where is she?"

"She's doing the same thing I am, I bet. Sending an owl when they tell us to."

Harry paced, trying to figure out how much of this could be truth. Instead, he pressed his wand to Amycus' temple, hard.

"You'll tell me where they've got Jack or I'll kill you. Half of this lot behind me would, too. You definitely don't want to cross Hermione."

The mans eyes grew wide in terror. He had seen Harry kill Voldemort and did not want to be next.

"I can't. Even if you tortured me, I can't."

"Why bloody not?"

"An Unbreakable Vow."

The facts connected in Harry's head. "A vow."

"We both took it. We could not tell a soul where the boy was, or speak of his location, or the names of anyone else we'd spoken to. Or we'll die."

Hermione stepped forward, brows knit. "It's a failsafe. If they even begin to tell, they die. If the idea even forms in their head... gone. They wouldn't be able to tell even with Veritaserum, or anything stronger."

Harry shook his head, taking a well-aimed kick at an old upturned chair. He turned around, stormed out of the house, and strode into the street. Hermione followed, leaving those behind her to figure out what to do with Amycus.

"There are other ways, Harry. We'll find him."

"This was our first and only serious lead, Hermione! We've got nothing now."

"What about the files? You've now got two people you suspected who were indeed involved. And if they were contacted by people who knew where they were..."

"They have to have known them for quite some time. Brilliant as always, 'Mione. There are seven left, and it has to be one of them, it just has to be..." He brushed back her bangs, kissing her once on the forehead. The rest of the team, minus three Aurors, emerged from the house. Kinglsey reached them first.

"I've left three of your men to unstick Amycus and take him in. We'll deal with him later. For now, it's best you two return home and get some sleep. We'll knock on a few doors tomorrow morning..."

The smirk on his face let Harry and Hermione know they would do more than knock on a few doors. Harry grabbed onto his broomstick and his girlfriend and apparated home.

As soon as they arrived in their sitting room, Luna bombarded them with questions. Hermione, who had always been better at this sort of stuff, dished out the latest news and events, while Harry took himself upstairs to the bedroom. He was going to call the only man he knew who was more afraid of things than he was, one who was also once a dear friend that he missed very much, even given the circumstances.

"Ron? Can we talk?"

"'Course we can. On the phone or in person?"

"Either."

"I'm looking to go out anyway. There's a little pub on the corner of..."

He gave Harry directions and the pair hung up. Harry went downstairs to let Hermione know he was leaving, and apparated into the alley behind the bar, in dire need of a drink.

* * *

_"I've got to get back to the kids... trouble all day. But Hermione... call me if you need, and I hope for everyone's sake that you find Jack, and that Harry..."_

_"Stops acting like a mad man? Yeah, me too. Thanks Luna."_ She had seen her friend out and collapsed on the couch, exhausted. The broom ride had terrified her, Harry's behavior had only escalated, and frankly she was just _tired_. Harry had left six hours ago and Hermione had spent the entire time talking to Luna, and was now watching television to pass the time until Harry returned. He'd been gone quite a while, and he hadn't really said where he'd gone. Maybe he just needed to talk to one of his friends from the ministry, or...

Her phone rang.

"'Mione?"

"Ron, hi, what's... it's nearly three in the morning, Ron."

"Can you open the door? Harry's gotten sick on my shoes."

Hermione tossed her phone down, running across the room to the door and opening it as quickly as possible.

Harry had indeed been sick, and he looked terrible. He'd clearly been drinking, quite a bit, and was humming something to himself and into the shoulder of Ron, who was halfway holding him up on their front porch.

"Called me to talk. Got drinks. The rest is history."

"I think..." She hesitated. "I think he needed that. He's been under a lot of stress."

"He told me. He told me he's even been scaring himself, and that he wanted to apologize to you. Can't do that now." Ron asked where the bedroom was, and helped pull Harry upstairs and tip him into bed. Ron and Hermione went back downstairs, each thinking. She saw him to the door, but he spoke first.

"He'll stop the nonsense. You know Harry. He gets so worked up..."

"I'm assuming the two of you are alright then?"

"Not the best of mates again, no." Ron flushed. "He's still angry with me. Says we lied to him. We did, but... he asked why, and I told him I couldn't give him a reason. That's where you and I were always the same, Hermione. You always did the most clear thing at the time, and I always did what made sense in my own head at the time. When we first talked about it... we both thought we were crazy. I guess we were." He gave a weak sort of smile and reached to scratch the back of his neck. Hermione smiled. Still the same old Ron.

"I'd love to stay up and chat Ron, but not tonight. I'm sure Harry told you about tonight."

"Yeah, he did. I need my sleep too, I had a few myself. I'll call in a day or two and check in. And Hermione?"

"Yeah?"

"Even if we were crazy, as kids... we _were_ kids then. I guess I smartened up as much as you did. I'd never do the things I did then, like chasing after the two of you, any of it... and you've got Harry, and you both seem really happy."

"Thanks, Ron. Have a safe trip." He nodded, apparating off her doorstep. She shut the door behind her and mentally prepared herself for her drunken boyfriend upstairs, the father of her child, the boy who lived. She rolled her eyes. If they could see him now...


	25. Chapter 25

"Anything?"

"Still no, Harry. I'm sorry."

"It's been a full week without contact now. I wonder if they had a charm set up, if they knew we showed up for Amycus. But then what does that mean? If they haven't contact us? Could they have..."

"I don't think so." Kingsley shifted the muggle telephone to his other ear. What an odd, uncomfortable contraption. "And anyway, they need Teddy. Or they think they do. They won't hurt Jack."

"I suppose not. At least that's figured out, but... can't help but worry."

"He's your son, Harry. By blood. It's only natural. How is Hermione? And Teddy?"

Here, Harry hesitated. A moment later, Kingsley heard a screech in the background of their call. "And who was that?"

"Teddy. He's been... having sort of transformations, not fully, but like he does on the half-month. He just gets hairy and moody, but lately it's been getting worse. We've had to use the lock twice now."

Kingsley felt for the boy. He himself had fought alongside Remus Lupin for so many years, and to see and hear of his son in such misery because his brother - not even by blood - was missing... it was heartbreaking. Remus would have been the same. A fighter, yes, but also a bit sensitive. Protective.

"I've got a meeting in five, Harry, but I'll send you an owl as soon as I'm done. I want to set up a shop out of your house. It can't be easy having a dozen of us hovering on your step every hour or two... I'll contact you later."

Harry gave his thanks and hung up the phone, leaving the Minister feeling wholly hopeless.

* * *

"Teddy? It's time for breakfast." Hermione called into his special room, plate in hand. If he wasn't yet turned completely back, as he'd been known to do, he'd smell the food. If he was, he'd hear her voice anyway. "Ted?" In a few moments, he came walking, sullen, out of the trees.

"I heard you, I heard you... I'm coming."

Teddy had been especially moody the last two days, sometimes shouting at Hermione and Harry, sometimes not saying anything at all. Hermione had tried her best to cheer him up, including taking him out for lunch and shopping for a new bike, but he wasn't having any of it. Hermione let him have a moment alone, heading back downstairs to Harry. After a minute of chat she noticed Teddy hadn't come downstairs yet. Puzzled, she climbed the stairs again looking for him. But Teddy wasn't in his room, or his bedroom, or anywhere else Hermione checked. She called out to Harry and together they searched the house to no avail. After a few minutes Harry spotted a strange looking spot on the far wall of Teddy's special room and shouted.

"There! The window. He's... he jumped."

"From the second story? Harry, he could be hurt!"

"He's just out of a transformation. He probably healed anything he got by now, and we'd have heard him if he didn't. He'd have called out to us. Look... it's not broken, and we have protections on the outside. He ran out... which is at least a step better than someone having kidnapped him."

Hermione didn't seem appeased by this news and responded by burying her face in Harry's chest. "But he's not here!"

"We'll find him. He can't have gone far." He grabbed Hermione's shoulders and stepped back, looking her in the eye. "Look for anything saying where he went. I'm going to go down and owl a few people at the ministry. I'll be back up in two minutes."

* * *

_**Two weeks later...** _

"Is that...?" Harry turned slowly to look where Hermione had gestured. They were sitting in the window of a shop in the middle of the square, and had been for a few days on end. The quaint little tea shop was full of mismatched cushions and throws in booths and benches, and the owner had been so kind to the two of them, once their situation had been explained. Their sons were missing, and a kidnapper had been seen in the area. And apparently now, was being seen again.

Harry looked out of the corner of his eye to see two heads of faded teal hair. He'd have known the heads of his sons anywhere.

"I believe it is." Harry carefully slipped his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and pressed 'send', then slipped it back. Soon after he felt it buzz but did not check it. This had all been planned for days now, and he wasn't about to mess it up. There were eleven aurors, three members of magical law enforcement, and one 'watch dog' scattered around the square, keeping an eye on it at all times. He knew that at that moment, they were making a move that might make it possible to find their sons. Two minutes later, right on cue, Kingsley walked into the little tea shop, eliciting a squeak from the tiny owner, who ran back behind the counter. In full wizards robes and hat and his current look of determination and success, he did look a little intimidating.

"It's done. Holloway saw them before we even got your message and took aim. There should be a very small tracker embedded in Jack's shoe. We're assuming they're keeping them together in the same place, it wouldn't make sense not to. It's been how long now?"

Harry nodded. "Two weeks. We'd only gotten one short note from Teddy, and that was brought to us through what I believe was - though I hardly believe it - a network of house pets. It smelled like dog and was dropped at my feet by a cat, but had claw marks like an owl or a bird through it. And all he said was that he left to find Jack. And that they were both fine and not being harmed."

Kingsley smiled. "That's the best news I've heard yet. And Teddy never said anything about leaving, before he ran away?"

"No. He had mentioned once that he wanted to track his brother and go, but we wouldn't let him of course. Looks like he handled it better than I'd hoped, though I'm still not happy about it."

"Network of pets... a half-were _would_ find a creative way to not get noticed."

"Teddy's always been... intelligent, but a little lazy." Harry scratched his head. He had apparated onto his front porch after work one day to see a solid grey cat sitting beside his door. When he began to ask, in the way that one talks to cats, what it was doing there, it simply dropped a torn piece of parchment at his feet and walked away. Harry had seen Teddy's note - _mum + dad - I found Jack. Both fine. Jack's fine. can't tell who has us. ted."_ and shouted so loud that Hermione had burst onto the porch with her wand out, looking like she could kill. Harry had told her he was fine, showed her the note, and she'd begun to cry. Teddy must have wandered around a moment and called enough attention to himself to get noticed and picked up by whoever had Jack. Harry had been both angry and proud - truly the son of a Marauder and raised by two war heroes, he'd risked his own life just to make sure his brother was truly okay.

* * *

"That's good that you at least have a tracker on one of them... who did it?" Ron sounded like he was eating on the phone, and Hermione wouldn't have doubted it in the slightest.

"One of Harry's youngest Aurors, actually. Ben Jordan. He was the only one that got the shot. It's a sort of charm that makes the item it hits easily tracked by the wand that cast it. Harry wasn't sure he wanted his newest recruit on the task when we got to get them, but he more than proved himself."

"That's good. How's Harry?"

"He's holding up. His main thing was making sure I was okay... then he sort of fell back in his own way. Not like last time, don't even _think_ about coming by to get him..."

Ron laughed. "I won't get your... Harry... pissed. It just seems weird calling him just your boyfriend, given your situations."

Hermione sighed, looking down the stairs at Harry, sitting on the couch. "I know. Just a sec..." She padded down the hall into hers and Harry's bedroom, shut the door, and further shut herself in the bathroom. "Can I ask you something?"

"'Course."

"I'm thirty, Ron. A full fledged grown up witch. And I know that what we just... took care of... had held me back from being completely honest with Harry. But it's not just that. I'm terrified, especially now. What if we get married? And what if I just lose him? There are clearly still Dark wizards out there who would love to have his head, and what if one of them gets the opportunity and I lose him? I can't... I don't want to risk that."

"Hermione, you're going to have that risk whether or not you're married. If you do decide to go down that road... then you'd be making a commitment to him, right? A big one. To spend your lives together. Right?"

Hermione considered it. "Yes. Completely right."

"Haven't you already done just that? Hermione, you're raising two children with him, one of which is your own. You both have been through so much together, and now this? And you don't think you're committed to him?"

Hermione didn't know how to answer that. She hadn't ever spoken to anyone about why she wasn't ready to marry Harry, but hearing Ron say it that simply assured her that maybe she should have spoken sooner. "Yes. I am. Ron, it's just... it's more complicated than that."

"Maybe it was once, when we held a marriage license we got fourteen years ago... but it's not anymore. The only thing complicated about your entire relationship, save for the children, is that you're _not_ married. You've been together over a decade. Look, Harry was talking about it when we were out that night... he told me it actually hurts him, that you won't marry him. Like he's good enough to have a child with and share a bed with but not ever to marry. You know Harry, he can be a little sensitive. But you need to be straight out with him, and if you're not committed to him for life, leave now."

"Ronald!"

"It's true. You've raised a child with the man, been with him for ten years, Hermione! If you can't see yourself marrying the man, don't."

All at once a heavy feeling settled in the pit of Hermione's stomach. By spending her life with Harry she risked someone coming after him. But by choosing not to spend her life with him? She risked his always disappointed, feeling inadequate. She risked losing him that way, too.

"No. I... can't see myself with anyone else. And to tell the truth... maybe it has taken me a decade to figure that out, maybe I have ran the risk of losing him. I'm such an _idiot_ , he could have left me at any time, for someone who - who wanted to commit. It's not like we haven't settled down, we have! It's just a piece of paper, it makes things legal."

"But Hermione, it's not just a piece of paper. You know how it is with wizard marriages."

"They're nearly impossible to get out of, but why would I ever want to?"

"I think you have your answer, then."

It clicked in Hermione's head - Ron had only ever suggested her leaving Harry to make her realize she actually did want to marry him. "Oh. Ronald, you're good..."

"I do what I can. I've got to go, I've got a... lady friend coming over later tonight. I'm cooking."

"You? Cook? Don't burn your flat down. Good luck."

"I need all the luck I can get. Last time I saw her, she spilled coffee on me and ran."

"Seems to be a trend. Good night, Ron."

"Night. And Hermione? Remember. Stay strong and stick close to Harry. He's never steered us wrong before."

"Thanks, Ron. Bye."

He said his goodbyes and Hermione hung up the phone just as the door to the bathroom opened. Harry slipped through, smirking.

"You've been in here a while."

"Oh, shut up. I was on the phone with Ron. I called him to update him, he asked last time..."

"Good."

"He said hello, and to call him if you needed anything."

"I might, actually. The ministry wants to limit how many aurors I can bring with me on any given mission, and the problem is that since there's no evidence that it's a big group of people, I can only bring three. Three plus me, and that's not enough."

"I'm going too."

"I won't be able to keep you away from it, I'm guessing, so yes. Five. But I'd like another, just in case, and there's no one who knows my dueling strategies better than Ron."

"I'll let him know next time he calls. He's got a woman coming over for dinner and he's trying to impress her with a cooked meal."

"He's going to burn his hair off before that happens. Hope he's got a hat ready."

Hermione laughed, and allowed Harry to help her up off the floor, where she'd been sitting. He immediately pulled her closer, and she set the phone down on the edge of the counter behind him, letting her arms snake around his neck.

"How are you, Hermione?"

"I'm... I'm okay. And you?"

"Better. Jordan sure got my spirits up, making that clear shot. And you helped this morning, with french toast..."

"I do what I can." She echoed Ron's line on the phone earlier, and remembered her most recent realization. She was going to marry Harry, next time he asked. As soon as all this was over, if he didn't ask, she'd bring it up to him. Not now - not in the midst of their children missing. But soon.

"As do I. And Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"I've got your favorite waiting downstairs, I called Emerald Palace and had Pad Thai, Larb Gai, and as many Thai iced teas as they could fit, all delivered to the door."

Hermione's stomach growled on cue. "Oh thank god, I'm starving."

Over dinner that night, Harry shared his latest musings.

"I've talked to Kingsley about a few things... he wanted to grant me full permissions over the aurors, but there was a big meeting, the ministry doesn't think it's right to send thirty-plus people into something that could be a trap. Three is bad enough, and I get that."

"Yeah, I kind of see the point there. I don't want to, but I do."

"He also told me that the tracking charm should take another day or two to work right. The wand sort of connects to the item, which we believe is one of the boy's shoes, and once Jordan casts the second half of the spell - the actual tracking charm - his wand will point him in the direction and get warmer the closer we get."

"Like the games we all played as children - hotter and colder depending on how close we were..."

"Exactly. He also... he told me something else. Usually Aurors are granted full permissions to use extreme force against anyone proven to be involved in a crime like this... usually involves hexes, a curse or two... but Kingsley appealed the number of aurors we could use and was instead given something else. We've... we've been told to get the boys back by 'any means necessary'. Do you get the drift? It's not a decision the Wizengamot would usually grant, but given our prominence and the situation, and the prophecy..."

Hermione pondered the meaning for a second before it clicked. _Any means necessary._ Oh. "Oh... you mean...?"

"Yeah. We've all been authorized. Everyone on the team. Kingsley himself, since he wants to sort of sneak around and be present when it happens. You, me. Jordan. Ron. I already mentioned him, so unless he turns it down, he's all set to go."

"Harry can I tell you something?" Hermione had a sudden flash of a dream from the night before, she'd been in a big house and was fighting shapeless, nameless things... "I dreamed about it even, but I've been thinking about it. And... whoever is behind this, they deserve that. I'm not usually one to condone this sort of violence, but given the circumstances, I'd do it myself if I had to." She knew she looked a little scared, she felt it too. Harry, oppositely, laughed.

"I've never been so happy to hear someone say they'd kill someone else in cold blood. Hermione... if it gets to that, you won't have to. I have a team for that. Don't worry your conscience about it. But I'm glad to hear you've got conviction." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "We'll get the boys back. I promise you, I swear on it, on our whole life, I'll get them back."

Hermione nodded, blinking into her Larb Gai. She knew he meant it. Their whole lives... well, now she meant it too.


	26. Chapter 26

"When do we go?"

"Now that they've changed it again? Tomorrow." Harry tossed his paper down on the coffee table, groaning. "They want to make sure we're all fully briefed and protected as much as we can be. There should only be two left. They apprehended both of the Carrow's after some crafty letter writing, and another - whoever was walking the boys around town - because he apparated around a corner with his hood still on and a ring on his right hand that we had seen on him earlier. They've all got the same failsafe. They'll die if they consider talking, even if given Veritaserum."

"And we think Mulciber is one of them?"

"Yeah. Big muscley bloke. And besides strong, he's fast, and an excellent duelist. I ran into him at the Battle of Hogwarts, he nearly finished me before I could do anything about it. He may have been one of the ones who caused the explosion that killed Fred."

"Now I _doubly_ want to kill him."

"You and I both, love." Harry kissed her head. They'd been cooking dinner for themselves, and Hermione had broken down twice. She hadn't had to cook for just the two of them in ages, not like this. She made enough for the boys, stored it in plasticware, and put it in the fridge. When they got home tomorrow night - and they would come home - they might be hungry. Who knew if they were being properly fed?

"He was one of Voldemort's most used killers. A hit man, of sorts. And not just good with the killing curse, but with hexes and curses too. Immense pain, blindness, madness and torture in the minutes before death. He spent three hours torturing a family of muggles before he killed them, like it was some sort of sick game."

"We have to be careful, Harry."

"Oh, I'm aware. And Ron called."

"What did he say?"

"He insisted on helping. I told him I'd considered asking, and that you'd spoken, and everything... he told me he wouldn't miss it. He'd be there, for us."

Hermione let herself smile a little. "I sort of knew he would. Ron... he's changed."

"Definitely. Almost ruined our safe house, got us killed, left us in the war... but he's a new man now. Either way, when our first group is out, the second one will come through, make arrests, and seize control of the house. It'll all be taken care of."

"Good."

"We'll start at sundown, so they can't see us approaching, and hope that whatever protective charms they have on the place won't alert them until we're close enough to take them down."

"And what should I be doing?"

"Waiting here, making sure things are ready for when we get home."

"You're joking, right? Harry, I'm not just a house mother. I'm going with you."

He took a breath, turning towards her, and grabbed her face in his hands. "I can't risk that. I can't risk losing you, it's too much."

"Oh, but I'm supposed to sit around at home and bide my time until I find out if _I've_ lost _you_? I think not."

"Hermione, please..."

"Harry James Potter, if you intend to marry me you're going to have to learn to respect this decision of mine, immediately. That's not just your godson in there, that's our child. He's our son and I'll be damned if I'm going to sit here and wait. Plus..." She smirked. "I can't let you have all the fun."

"Hermione..."

"No buts. I'm going with you. I can't risk losing you, either, and we both know I've saved your life more than a handful of times."

He seemed to be struggling for a way to combat this, but couldn't. She was right, and he knew it, and she knew he knew it.

"Fine. But you'll have an auror guarding you at all times. One of my best. And you can't just go running off if you hear or see something, we have to do things the way my department does them - thorough. We plan before we walk into hallways. We have to clear everything. And if you fuss about it, I'll have Ron drag you out of there so fast your head will spin."

"Fine."

"Fine. And if you're going, you'd better get some sleep. We've got a full morning of briefing starting at seven tomorrow. You'll have to take notes." He shook his head, but smiled slightly. He knew she'd take notes. Who else would? And had she just mentioned marriage?

* * *

"Wait here. I'll check first." Harry put a hand out to his team of ten, all behind him. They had been fully briefed that morning, as promised, and Hermione had been at rapt attention the entire time. She asked questions, brought up a few important things he hadn't thought of himself, and proved to the entire team that she was ready for this - not that he'd doubted it, really, she'd been with him through a war of course.

He picked up one foot then set it carefully down, followed by the other. If they'd been discovered yet, it was of no news to them. There had been no Caterwauling Charm or feeling of specific wards around the manor. He was currently checking around the last corner before the straight, hundred meter pathway through the gardens to the front door. Well, they were called the gardens - they'd obviously fallen into disrepair. He could see the bones of what was likely one of the prized white peacocks that used to strut around the lawn, scattered around to the left. He saw no other sign of movement, and held one finger up. _First group._ This was the sign that meant the first six - himself, Hermione, Ron, and three of his best Aurors - were to move forward, while the other four stayed behind to make arrests when all was cleared, and also to watch out and alert Harry if they saw anything strange happening. He heard the footsteps behind him that meant they had seen it, and as soon as they were all together, they ran quickly to the edge of the pathway. Harry, again, stepped first. Nothing happened.

Had they really thought that Harry wouldn't find the boys? Had the two in charge of this really thought that they would get their way? That they could use Teddy to, what? Raise a new Dark Lord and take over the world? Well, they'd thought wrong.

"I think it's clear. I want to try the door from here, just in case. Holmes, I'll want your help on this one. Aim there, at the same time. One... two..."

They shot jets of light at the door and watched a mass of black shadows emerge, engulfing the top of the stairs and staying there a full three minutes before dissipating.

"Curses. Or some sort of poison gas, but it looked too... smart." Ron whispered.

Hermione nodded. "I know what you mean. Like it was looking for someone."

Harry turned to them, beckoning them forward. They climbed the steps and stepped through the doorway. Certainly whoever was here would now know they had come, the curse that they'd seen was proof of that. They had put up minor protections just in case. Which meant that now, they could be waiting, anywhere.

"There's a strong signal - the tracker. Upstairs. East wing."

"Good job. We'll follow that as best as we can, checking halls and doorways carefully. I doubt we'll be able to use anything so simple to reveal life forms, so we'll have to keep our eyes open."

The team moved forward, painfully slowly. Every time any of them thought they saw something, their heads whipped around and they would signal for everyone else to stop, and wait, and listen. A long hallway took them nearly ten minutes to clear, and by the time they'd reached the grand room of the manor, each of them was prepared - not, however, for the sight of a hospital bed just near the mantel, and one very familiar, very battered looking man in the bed. His hair and nose immediately gave him away - Draco Malfoy - but his face and his eyes, the look of shock and fear on his face, were unlike him.

"Leave! You've got to get out of here now, Potter, run!"

Harry took a step towards him - he had to know something, anything - and then they all heard the most awful screeching sound rip through the air as soon as Harry's toe stepped off the carpet and onto the marble floors.

"Keep your backs together! It's a trap!" Harry whipped out his wand, leading the group away from the hallway - which had now been closed off by magic, keeping them from getting out and Harry's backup from getting in - and called out.

"Who are you?"

Hooded and non-hooded figures alike stormed the room from every direction, aiming their wands at the group on the edge. Harry turned to look at the hallway and saw none of his backup coming. They really were sealed out, the six of them against what might have been fifteen figures.

A spell like a kick to the face hit Draco's left side, knocking him unconscious. From that direction the tallest of the men emerged from a door, pulling his hood back.

"Well, well. Harry Potter."

"Mulciber. Our team knew you were in charge of this - you had to have something to do with it..."

"Good work. Unfortunately for you I am not just the brawns behind the operation - I have new followers for that - but I am also the brains. And look where we've ended up now."

"Where are my children?"

"They are both safe, for now. Though I can't say what might make me change that."

"What do you want?"

"We already have what we want - the boy. The son of Remus Lupin and one of the most aggressive half-were children on the planet."

"Teddy's not aggressive, he can hardly argue with his brother."

"Oh, that may have been the case weeks ago, but as the prophecy says: a traumatic experience will change that. It'll make him as bad as he'd have been in Lupin and Tonks were alive today..."

The kidnapping. Right out from under their noses, the prophecy was already coming to fruition. How bad was he now? Would they be able to save him before it was too late? Or was it already?

"And what about Jack?"

"The other boy? Well, you'd have to ask Teddy about that."

Hermione gasped behind him. They'd stuck the two boys in a room together, while Teddy could be going through uncontrollable transformations and becoming influenced by dark magic... he could have been seriously hurt.

"I've got just one thing to ask you then, Mulciber, and this time I expect an answer." Harry reached behind him, barely nudging each of the five behind him. Their hands all brushed together. It was time. "Did you really think I would come here unprepared? _Stupefy!"_

A dozen jets of light came flying from every direction, and as the group dodged and rolled, shooting counter-curses and jinxes back, the numbers diminished. Mulciber may have gained new followers, but they weren't the decades-old companions he was used to fighting beside. Half of them were clearly foreign and couldn't understand his shouted directions as he ran back down the hallway from which he'd come. Harry moved to follow him but Hermione held him in place.

"We need you here! We'll find him later."

"What if he's going to go hurt the boys? Right now?"

Hermione hesitated for a moment, but shook her head. "Two minutes. We've got to take care of this too or it'll all be in vain."

"It'll all be in vain if he kills our children, Hermione!"

"These aren't my soldiers, they're yours." She leaned over, planted a kiss on his cheek, and ran after Mulciber down a dark hallway. If it hadn't been for one of his men being stunned, then Ron, he would have followed her. As it was, he fired back at the figure who had torn them both down, and then turned to stop another attacker before he could get proper aim. Their numbers were diminishing, and though Harry was now only fighting with two other Aurors, there were only four figures left, then two, then one. Harry used his last hex to knock the man unconscious before shouting at his men to follow him, leaving Ron and the other one to wake and wait.

Harry ran down the hallway at full speed, towards the only open door halfway down on the left. The light coming from the far wall of a deep, cavernous room was the only thing Harry could see at first, until a large oak table blocked the light and Harry saw, for a split second, Hermione facing off against Mulciber, wands raised...

"Hermione! No!"

In the time it took him to get the words out, he realized something - the table wasn't flying by his wand, it was flying by hers. She slashed her wand down towards Mulciber and the crack and shatter of the table was deafening. Harry threw up a shield chaim just in time as bits of wood flew everywhere, smacking the far wall and even the ceiling. What may have been left of Mulciber was trapped under the remains of the table, though Harry thought he saw a leg twitch he knew that the man was at the very least unconscious, but could likely be dead.

He ran to Hermione, wrapping her in his arms. "I was afraid I'd lost you..."

"Well, that's the benefits of being a woman. He simply wanted to overpower me, I wanted to smash him to death with a solid oak table. Shame, it was really beautiful..."

"Before you turned it to sawdust."

Harry heard a shout from out in the hallway, one that he knew unmistakably to belong to Jack. The pair, along with Harry's team, ran out to the hallway and followed the shouting to a farther door. Hermione's _alohamora_ was so strong the door fell apart on its hinges, and they were able to see Teddy and Jack together for the first time in a month. Teddy himself had been missing for two weeks, Jack for just over four. Hermione unlocked the cuffs keeping them chained to the wall and they ran to their parents (or Godparents) and hugged each other for a long while, all the time crying and saying how glad they were that they were together again.

Harry sent two of his men to first retrieve Ron and the other Auror, then to grab the backup from outside and send one of _those_ men to get even more help. They had expected maybe four people, not fifteen, and there was still the matter of Draco Malfoy having been there, captive in some way and ill. There could be a curse on the whole place, and they couldn't step foot outside until they knew for sure there was nothing dangerous.

Hermione fired off questions to the both of them. Are you hurt? Are you hungry? Did they do anything to you? Did they say anything? What happened? Jack tried answering as fast as he could, but seemed winded. It was likely he hadn't been moved from the room for the entire four weeks, and was a bit sick. Teddy, however, stayed stone silent, staring just off to the side. Harry grabbed his shoulder and looked him in the eye.

"Do you want to talk?"

Teddy shook his head first, then nodded and lead Harry out into the hallway.

"What's wrong, Ted? You're safe now. And as mad as your mum and I wanted to be when we found out you'd run off, we knew it was to keep your brother safe, and I personally couldn't be more proud of you."

"I almost didn't, though."

"How do you mean?"

"I almost couldn't keep him safe. I kept transforming... I feel like I might now, even. And it felt... bad. Usually I know to go into my room and wait it out, but I couldn't do that here. And sometimes it was hard for me to not... hurt Jack."

"You know exactly why that is. But Teddy, you have to remember... that's not you, okay? The Teddy I know jumped out of his window to turn himself in and track his brother down. He's the young man who came from two of the bravest people I knew, and who has dealt with so much at his age but still comes out strong. If you need to talk you know I'm always here, and your mum too."

He hugged his godson tightly to him. "And you're safe now. That's what matters. Nobody is going to hurt anybody."

* * *

The boys were saved, Mulciber and his crew were all sent to Azkaban or worse, and in the midst of it were two completely exhausted parents, struggling to find time for themselves. They'd gone in for questioning, they'd been debriefed. Hermione had nearly had to stand trial for her attack on Mulciber, but Kingsley has automatically pardoned it, and the Wizengamot had fully approved. She'd smashed a ten food oak table over his head and he no longer remembered who he was, and in fact thought he was a young boy of six. A 'very bad boy' as he called himself, rocking around in his cell in Azkaban.

Teddy and Jack had spent nearly another month recovering from their trauma. They were malnourished, Teddy showed signs of immense stress, and Jack was still very nervous around people. When the boys were finally able to be around Luna and George and their children, Harry told Hermione he'd sent them off for the night and that they would spend a night out.

He took her to the theater, then to dinner, and he grabbed her hand when she looked nervous.

"They're fine. They're alright. Just relax."

Try as she might, she still seemed odd over dinner.

Harry cleared his throat. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's _wrong_ , Harry. Do you know what today is?"

"Course I do. A long, long while ago, we first admitted we had feelings for each other on this day, and we said we'd always remember it."

"Mhmm. It's just... we only barely have an anniversary."

"Well, I think we know why."

"Hmm."

"Hermione? What are you getting at?" He felt his heartbeat quicken, his breathing slow. "What are you saying?"

"Will you ask me?"

"Will you say yes?"

"I hope I can."

Harry smiled, reaching into his coat pocket. "I bet you didn't think I still carried it around..."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but the smile couldn't fade from her face. It was a ring, _the_ ring, that she'd thrown at him and avoided so many times. "No, I've always known you have... Maybe that's what scared me off."

He tried to scowl, but couldn't in his happiness. He looked at her across the table, opened the box, and slid it towards her.

She had forgotten how beautiful it was, really. Over a carat, a round diamond flanked by a number of smaller ones, on a thin little band of white gold. She looked at him eagerly. "Well?"

"I'm not asking."

"You're joking."

"I've used up my proposal limit. I can't do it." He grinned. He knew this would set her over the edge, which was why, weeks ago when she'd mentioned not losing him and marriage, he'd planned this out in his head.

"You've only proposed..."

"Three times. Three strikes. Something like that."

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"I want you to admit that this is what you want. And tell me what changed."

Hermione blinked. This was different. She'd always known Harry to be very giving, very easily bending himself to the wants and needs of others. Today, however, he wanted these words from her. And she knew she would give them to him.

"The day we found out we'd be caring for Teddy was the second scariest day of my life thus far. The third would be saving them both. Today? Today is the scariest of all. Do you know how long I've been waiting? To be able to say yes, I'll marry you? A very long time. But due to... well, the Ron thing, but also my own insecurities, I hadn't. I said no, so many times - too many. But I can't say no anymore. And I don't want to.

"I wake up next to your face every morning and know that I would do whatever it took to make you happy. I'd marry you in a tee shirt and jeans right now if it would please you. But it's not just what you want anymore, it's what I want too. I want your last name and your trust, I want our children to not have to dodge around questions about why their parents aren't married. I want that ring, right there, on my left hand. I want to know, through sickness and in health, that you'll take my help instead of fending for yourself, that you'll raise our boys to be wise young men and courageous, too, like you always have been.

"I want to marry you for the same exact reasons I didn't want to marry you. What's a piece of paper, anyway? And why was I so afraid of it? Hadn't we already committed to something lifelong and wonderful? Hadn't we grown into that slowly? Why not make it official? Why not recognize, in front of everyone we know, that we're in this for the long run - forever? And I'm not losing myself, if we marry. Not at all. I'm just sharing myself. With you."

He smiled, but wouldn't relent yet. "So why is paper so important to you now?"

She smirked, knowing he was playing with her. "I think it would look good on the wall. Right next to the mirror and the table with the little plant on it."

"Works for me."

They finished their dinners in silence and did not stay for dessert. When they walked outside, Harry got them a cab all the way to where he had first proposed, and where she had first turned him down. He told the cabbie to wait two minutes.

"Take it back."

"Harry, this is ridiculous."

"Take it back!"

"I take it back! Every bit about it. Especially when I yelled at you afterwards."

"Good. Let's keep moving."

And so he took her to the second and third places she had turned him down, and repeated the process. Their cab driver, who thought the whole thing was a bit strange but smiled nonetheless, finally dropped them off at their home.

"No charge. Best ride all night..."

Harry tipped him graciously and walked Hermione inside and into their sitting room. He flipped on a lamp in the corner, just enough so they could see, and walked into the middle of the room.

"In this house, where we've raised two children to, honestly, be the bravest and strongest children I've ever seen. Where we've given them the childhood I never had. Where they have been raised by a mother as wonderful..." He kissed her cheek, "And caring," he kissed her other cheek, "As you." He looked at her, bending low and resting on one knee.

Hermione, to his surprise, joined him in kneeling on the floor. "In this house, for these children and for you. You don't even have to ask it, you know."

"I know. But I just want to hear you say it. Hermione, will you marry me? Finally?"

She nodded, leaning in close and wrapping her arms around him. When she felt his clasp around her, she tilted her head, whispering in his ear. "Yes. Of course, yes." He reached into his pocket once more and slid the ring on her finger, holding it there a moment.

"That's where this belongs, after nearly a decade."

They sat there on the ground, kissing and smiling for what felt like hours. When midnight approached and Hermione was hit with the realization that they still had to pick up the children, they stood and walked out the door, a spring in their steps.


	27. Chapter 27

"So you two really think that's it?"

"We've thought over everything. Teddy seems to be fine. He was a little irritable after the rescue, but in the month since then he's been fine. We were worried that it was too traumatic of an experience, that he would still turn dark. But he chose to go, and he reminds himself of it constantly. He went to look after Jack, and I think that's what saved him."

Ron shook his head, smiling. "Only the child of Tonks and Lupin would do that... or, well, yours would too if he weren't stuck in the first place."

Ron and Harry laughed as Hermione watched on. Ron had come by for a pint and some conversation after a hard day at work, and the two men had spent hours talking about the rescue, what had followed, and what was still to come. Hermione absently twirled the ring on her left hand. They would not have a long engagement. They were going to be married in four short months, at the Burrow (to Molly's insistence) with their closest friends and family in attendance. The team of aurors who had assisted them would also be present, both as guests and as security. Hermione gave up most of the control to Harry, noting only that she didn't want any blue or green in the wedding. He had chosen a wedding of simple white and silver, with bits of black. Things he'd shown her (all, of course, also planned by Molly) were elegant and simple. Molly's reaction on hearing the news was an immense amount of tears to go with a nearly impossible to understand speech about their love and becoming their own family,"for real".

Ron and George would be Harry's groomsmen, and Hermione had chosen Luna as her only. She had no other female friends to speak of, anyway, George would walk down with Luna and Ron would walk down with Eloise and Colin. Eloise would toss flower petals, Ron would carry the rings, and Colin would carry a picture of Fred that he would place on an empty chair in the first row, next to Arthur.

The only thing she'd be choosing was her dress. Molly was taking her into the city later that week to look, and she knew that she had to find something perfect. Harry had been waiting a long time to see her in a white dress, and she wanted the moment to be everything he'd dreamed of. That was love, though. At first she had thought she'd be making a compromise, if she married him. Now she knew it was just a promise, that no matter how strangely their love had started, and no matter how tough it had been to get them this far, that they had made it, and would continue to love and honor each other as long as they both should live.

"You boys want another drink? I'm heading in..."

"I'm fine. Ron?"

"Fine. Join us. We're just talking about the boys."

"Of course. Harry, did you tell him what Jack said the other day?"

Harry's smile turned up, and he looked at Ron. "He says you're his uncle Ron now. He's insistent that you make plans with the both of them soon."

Ron rolled his eyes. "If this were any weirder, I'd be spending time with the children of my best friend and the girl that got away. Ah, but it is."

They laughed, but Ron nodded. "It would be nice. I've only ever met them once or twice. They're good kids. And I'm sure they'd enjoy getting to see a quidditch match in a top box..."

"They'd love it. Jack's a bit more into muggle sports, but Teddy loves Quidditch. Can't wait to play for Gryffindor."

Hermione sighed. "Now, Harry..."

"I know, I know. He could end up in any house. In fact, he's mentioned that he'd be quite fine in Hufflepuff, like Tonks."

Ron snorted. "I can't see Ted in Hufflepuff. Nah, he's a Gryffindor. Jack too. Brave, good boys."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yeah, raised by a father like Harry, they'd have to be. And trouble, too."

* * *

**_Seven Years Later..._ **

The glossy pages in the album were her favorite retreat, lately. With everything changing, as it was bound to do, Hermione found herself reflecting on the facts more and more. The past was what made them a family, after all, but the future would change them as well. Thought they were still effectively Teddy's parents, his coming of age had released him from their guardianship. He was an adult now, a young man of seventeen. The day had been bittersweet for Harry and Hermione.

The picture of the four of them sparked memories of the day as if it were happening to her, right now. Teddy and Jack were fresh off the Hogwarts Express, bickering about their last Quidditch match. Teddy's birthday was the next day, and they were throwing a little party at home with all of their family friends to celebrate. Ron was taking them to a Quidditch match later in the week. Harry had insisted on snapping a picture with his new muggle camera, and the boys had obliged. He handed the camera off to another parent and stood close to Hermione, who was easily the shortest person in the picture. Harry was next, just a few inches taller, then Jack, who was taller than Harry by an inch or two. Teddy was nearly eight inches taller than Harry, having inherited the height of his tall, stringy father. Tonks and Remus would have laughed at seeing him today. He was tall, gangly, and wild, a perfect cross between the two of them. His trademark teal hair stood out brightly next to his red and gold Gryffindor tie and robe trimming. Jack stood up very straight, in blue Ravenclaw gear. Everyone was smiling, Hermione was glad to have the family back for a week.

She flipped a page back - this was just how she did things, looking at the album from back to front. It was like going back in time. She saw pictures of Christmases and Summer holidays, trips to France and Italy and Spain. A page back was full of pictures of a young Jack, the day he left for his first year at Hogwarts, and of a letter he wrote home that very week. He had been sorted into Ravenclaw, which hadn't really surprised anyone. Hermione remembered fondly the moment last year that she'd heard that Jack was the top of his class, Ravenclaw Keeper and Team Captain, and a Prefect. He excelled in everything.

The page before that was of Teddy's first year. His letter was shorter, his sentences clipped. He was a Gryffindor, like his father and like Hermione and Harry. He had never been chosen to be Prefect, as he broke as many rules as Jack enforced, but he'd been Gryffindor Seeker four out of his seven years, and Chaser before then. He was more sports-minded than having anything to do with his studies, and in fact had only barely received the required OWLs and had done only a bit better on his NEWTs that Spring.

The pages before then were of their young childhoods - lost teeth, playing in the house, vacations, games with Harry and Ron.

Before that were the wedding pages. Hermione smiled wide, remembering the day fondly. Since the day Harry had ran her around town and asked her, once more, to marry him, she'd been terrified that she'd get cold feet and call the whole thing off. But a certain sense of duty, love, and family combined had kept her grounded. She loved him. She always would. She had known for quite some time, as of then, that he would be the one she would spend her life with. No matter what.

She had excused herself from most of the planning, and was pleased to see that Harry had catered to both of their desires. He once joked about inviting everyone they knew, but the ceremony itself was reserved for only two dozen of their closest friends and family. The reception was larger, the numbers reaching over a hundred, but none were invited that Hermione wouldn't have wanted to be there with all her heart. There were old friends and new, families they had grown close with through meeting at King's Cross a few times a year, the Weasleys minus Ginny, who had declined to attend at all, and a special visit from Neville, who had spent the previous three years researching rare plants overseas.

The ceremony, while held in a rolling green yard in the country, was followed by a ritzy ceremony at a nice hotel. There were crystals and flowers and linens, all in white and gold. Hermione had chosen a simple, flattering dress that had made Harry tear up a bit. Near to the ceremony, they had changed the ring on her finger from one she had previously held in contempt and had avoided to something new entirely, a simple white gold band with diamonds around the entirety. It was a little more fitting to her style, anyway.

The party was scheduled to end around midnight, but had gone well into the next morning. When the sun rose over the horizon and the boys were completely upstairs in a room of their own, Harry and Hermione had retreated to their own room for a long while before finally getting some sleep. The boys had stayed with George for a week while Harry surprised Hermione with a Honeymoon she had practically insisted on not having, for appearances sake. He took her anyway, to a lovely little house in the country, where they spent a week alone and without any children or needs or wants.

"Mum?"

Hermione turned her head to see Teddy leaning against the door frame of the office in which she sat.

"Teddy..."

"Oh, looking at the album again. So many pictures..."

"And for good reason. You've both grown up so fast I can hardly remember it myself, I need the help." She stood, rising high on her toes while he bent low to kiss her cheek.

"I'm about packed."

"Already?"

"I leave in an hour. I would hope so."

Hermione sighed, reaching up to brush a lock of deep blue hair out of his face. "I know. I just wish it wasn't so soon..."

Grinning, Teddy stepped backward out of the room. "Just yesterday you were telling me you'd had enough of three months of me not doing my dishes..."

"That's different. Where's Jack?"

"He's downstairs with Dad. Talking about Quidditch, of course..."

That was another thing - Teddy, who had always been better than those his age at Quidditch, had now found a perfect athletic rival. While Teddy was swift, had a keen eye, and had always been good at sports, Jack had been slow to find athletic strength until Hogwarts. He'd become Keeper in just his second year, and had blocked goals from Teddy's year as a Chaser in their official matches and many practice rounds with friends. Jack was really good at Quidditch, perhaps better than Teddy. Thought they argued about it constantly, the night that Teddy had admitted he'd finally found a proper sports opponent in his younger brother was a good memory.

"Figures. Everything is packed? Your bathroom stuff?"

Teddy swore, despite a wicked look from Hermione. "Sorry. Forgot that. I'll head over..."

Hermione watched him go, then set the album down. He'd been learning to control his temper, but around the full moon he still got a little snappy with things. When he'd began at Hogwarts, the new Headmaster had allowed for him to take Wolfsbane each month at the full moon. The Headmaster himself had brewed the potion for a few years before delegating the task to his most promising Potions student - Victoire Weasley. Throughout these monthly sessions together, in which she would brew the potion for him and he would thank her with a snog - they had developed a relationship that lasted through the end of their schooling. Victoire was attending the same wizarding University as Teddy, and would continue to brew his potion for him as needed. She was significantly less snippy about things than Fleur, who had continued being as picky as ever, and Hermione had surprised herself by completely adoring Victoire.

Harry met her in the doorway next. "Teddy tells me you're getting all sentimental again."

"I was just looking at pictures, Harry." She leaned in to plant a peck on his lips, then leaned back. She noted the smattering of grey hairs around his head with a soft smile. He'd started sprouting them early, as his father had. His first one had shown up on his thirty-second birthday. "Our boy leaves tomorrow morning for University... nostalgic feelings are completely normal."

"You would say that. Jack's just helping load boxes. Any pictures in particular?"

"All of them, really. I'd started looking at the earliest ones - when we started dating, the first months with Teddy, when we moved into this house and all the times in between. But I started looking at the rest..."

"That's about seventeen years worth of pictures of us."

"Just about. It's wild, just looking at everything, how young we were."

"And how young they were."

Hermione nodded. Harry chuckled. "And all of the little hells we had to go through to get here. Remember when Ginny came and blew up at you, thought you were stealing me away? Or those few weeks in complete solitude when we were in hiding and couldn't talk to anyone?"

"That's how this started though, isn't it? A few weeks of us stuck in a house together with a crying Teddy and no idea what to do."

"Yes, I s'pose it is." He smiled again, taking her hand. "And all worth it. Oh, Teddy mentioned something I nearly forgot. His other room. It'll be free to use now, and we won't really have anything to do with it."

Hermione nodded. During the summers, Wolfsbane wasn't always the easiest to get, and Teddy usually locked himself away at the full moon. In fact, the first time he'd ever been given Wolfsbane he'd locked himself up anyway. Hermione hadn't questioned him - he just wanted to be extra careful, in case there was a strange reaction - but when she walked in the next morning to find that Teddy had spent the night starting to teach himself to play guitar, she'd been overwhelmed with good feelings. He was such a strong boy...

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Everything packed?"

"Last I heard, Teddy was scrambling to finish. Should be about ready."

"I hope so. Train leaves in two hours, I don't want him to be late..."

"It'll take us half an hour to get there. Relax... we've got it under control." He held her face in his hands and kissed her once more, grabbing her hand and leading her out through the rest of the house.

* * *

The platform was crowded with people, but this was unlike their previous trips to the station for school. This was no scarlet steam engine but a regular old train taking Teddy to his new life at his new school, and to his big adventure of adulthood. He was an adult now, by law and by practice, though he didn't always act it. Hermione watched Harry hand him his carry-on bag, packed with books, a mobile phone and a bit of money to last him his first few weeks until he found a job near his campus. Jack had been hanging toward the back before this, but now stood beside her, hands jammed into his pockets.

"I'm going to miss him. Even at school, we saw each other whenever we could. Different houses... now we're at different schools and different cities. It's going to be weird."

"Oh, Jack... I know. I'm going to miss him too. But we'll make sure he comes home for his holidays, and perhaps on a few weekends as well. He might be able to visit you in Hogsmeade, if you plan ahead. I'm sure he'd be willing."

"You think so?"

Hermione recognized the hopeful look in his eye - it was one she'd seen in Harry so many times. She looked closely at their son, admiring his features. He had all of the best things of the two of them - Harry's dark, shiny hair. Her smarts. Harry's athleticism and bravery. Her dedication to everything she did. Harry's height, her pale skin and big eyes, though they were green like Harry's. He looked so much like his father, but behaved so much like her it was unbelievable.

"Of course. I know so. I told him if he doesn't, I'll embarrass him in front of all his new friends when I send him a howler or come to his school myself to retrieve him."

"I'm sure he'd love that..."

Hermione smiled, patting her son on the back. "Let's go then."

They walked up to Teddy and Harry, who were in the middle of a long hug.

"Make sure you take your potion on time, and write often. Let us know when you can come back for a weekend, we're always free and I'm sure Jack would like to see you for a few days before he goes back to Hogwarts."

"I know, Dad. I know." He released Harry and moved to Hermione, who wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I won't bother, I know you can handle yourself. But if you need anything at all, call us. Call us anyway, that's why we got you the phone."

"I will." He released her, allowing her to kiss him on the cheek. "I love you, mum."

"I love you, Ted. Have fun and be safe." She stepped back, and nudged Harry. He followed. Jack had been standing towards the back, avoiding the farewell. He wasn't happy with his big brother leaving, not after everything they'd been through and the friendship that had grown between them.

"That's our boys." Harry let out a long sigh, reaching down to slide his arm around Hermione's waist. "Could two be any different?"

She shook her head. "I don't think there's any pair like them."

"They haven't always been the best of friends, but..."

"But they're brothers. That's something even greater."

The pair watched as the two brothers hugged suddenly, not letting go for quite some time. At just fifteen and seventeen, they had grown and changed and become so close, even when they fought, that they were the best of friends.

"Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm so proud of our boys. Of you. Of us. When you think about it - like I said earlier, when you were looking at the album, all the pictures. When you think about all the little hells, all the trials we went through to get here, the hard times... we got through all of it and made it out better than I ever thought we could have. And I think... I mean, almost all of that was you. You've been my best friend, my supporter. You're my wife and I love you. But you've also raised to very different and sometimes very difficult boys into two men I couldn't be more proud of."

Hermione felt tears welling in her eyes. Teddy was about to go into the world as a man, and yet she could remember holding him in her arms as an infant, and the day he lost his first tooth, and a similar scene watching him leave for Hogwarts for the first time...

"Thank you, Harry. I mean it."

"I do too. Love you."

"And I love you."

He squeezed her hand once, running his fingers over the ring on her left hand as he liked to do. She squeezed back and waved with her free hand as Teddy boarded the train, grabbed a window seat, and sat just as the announcement came for final boarding call. Jack walked back to them, avoiding their gazes. Harry cleared his throat.

"I don't know about the two of you, but I'm famished. Let's grab some dinner and then maybe by the time we get home, we can call Teddy."

Jack perked up at this. "He'll be there by seven. Plenty of time."

"Good. You can call first and last. Your mother and I have some paperwork to look over upstairs, so you'll have a bit of time."

Hermione held her tongue to keep herself from noting that there _was_ no paperwork to look over upstairs - but Jack didn't know that. She looked up at Harry through her lashes and saw him looking at her, a little grin on his face.

In seventeen years of being together, at least one thing had never changed - their attraction towards each other. He made her feel young again, even close to her thirty-fifth birthday.

"Yes, Jack. You'll have plenty of time to ask him about everything before bed."

The trio walked back to the car discussing dinner options, while the fourth member of their family pulled a notebook from his bag and began to write.

_Mom, Dad, and Jack -_

_I'm writing you on the train even though I'll probably speak to you in a few hours. Leaving is the most bittersweet thing of all, and I can't believe it's already done. I still think I forgot a few things, but I should be able to purchase them once I'm settled here. Things like shower towels, my favorite shoes, a toothbrush. Maybe I can come back this weekend or next and come get them, though... that doesn't seem too hard, right? And I told Jack I'd come see him before he leaves for Hogwarts on the first._

_You all better not eat at Scarpetto's without me. I fully expect that all family Scarpetto's trips will be made while I'm home for the weekend. Maybe we can go next weekend or the weekend after when I come back for my stuff._

_I know it seemed like I was leaving and wouldn't come back for a while - and now it seems like I'm going to come back all the time. But I know that's not always possible. I know I'll have exams, papers due, Jack will be busy with Quidditch and school, the two of you will be busy with work. And sometimes we may not all see each other for a month or two, and I know during final exams in the Spring we'll all be especially busy and may not even have weekends for a while. But I promise, cross my heart, to write and to call at least every other day, and to visit when I can and update you all on what I've been doing, how Victoire is, and our plans._

_Mum, Dad, thanks for the last seventeen years. My birth parents couldn't have picked a better pair to raise me and I love you. Jack, take care of yourself, show Slytherin and that awful Malfoy brat that we're_ both _better than he'll ever be, and I don't have to mention that I know you'll do better than I did in classes. Make mum and dad proud._ _  
_

_I'll see you all very soon and thanks for not crying when I left the station just now. It was hard enough leaving behind the best family anyone could have._

_Teddy_

_PS - if you happen to find a few things in my room that make it look like I may have been up to something, I was. Sorry!_


End file.
